Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play
by xPockyNoMikox
Summary: Twins become enemies as their sixteenth birthday brings death and the Legend of the Four Gods. Nuriko lives the life of Aya, with Hotohori as his starcrossed lover. AU, NxH
1. Awakening

A/N: Welcome to the newly revised Ayashi Yuugi! All the chapters have spruced up a little, though none of the story has been changed. Hopefully new ones will be out soon! There will be 25 in all, plus an epilogue, so you have an idea of how far along the story is. For those of you reading this for the first time: thank you! And yes, this will be shonen ai. No, this is not a crossover; no Ceres characters will appear, except maybe for a cameo by Touya, who is altogehter too hot to leave out. This is an AU where the Fushigi Yuugi characters live the lives of the Ceres characters, though the ending will be a little different than both anime.

P.S. Standard disclaimers apply, folks.

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter One: Awakening**

"Ryuen!"

My body wouldn't move – whether from awe or the tendril of unease creeping through me, I didn't know. But whatever it was, it weighed my legs down, left me staring at the white walls and elegant archways of my grandfather's temple. I tried to turn my head toward my name and couldn't; I was frozen in the shadow of the temple.

_"Ryuen!"_

I blinked, suddenly freed, tearing my eyes away from the shadows and sunbeams dancing through the trees, and turned toward the sound. My sister stood looking back at me from the gateway, hand on her hip and violet hair caught up in the cool evening breeze as she waved me forward. "Come _on_, Ryu! Everyone's waiting for us!"

Hurrying to catch up with her, I grinned and brushed a few loose strands of my own indigo hair out of my eyes, my sense of dread buried under excitement. "This place is huge!" I breathed, glancing around the temple grounds in wonder. "I'd forgotten how beautiful Grandpa's shrine is. I could sit out here all day."

"You do that, then," she said. _"I'm_ going to our birthday party." With that she turned and walked onto the temple path.

"Kourin, wait!" I caught up to her again and slipped my arm through hers. "So, are you excited? I mean, sweet sixteen and all? We'll be getting some major presents, especially since the whole family will be there." I smirked and nudged her side. "A car, maybe."

She shook her head, pouting. "They'd never give us cars. Two of us? That's way too expensive." A grin tugged at her lips, and she lowered her voice dramatically. "But then, why else would the whole family be here? Twin cars for the twin Chou!"

"There is an awful lot of space to hide them, here," I observed.

Laughing, we made our way across the tranquil grounds to the temple and ducked through its low door after our parents. It was dark in the hallway, with a single candle burning near the farthest end. A twinge of pain shot through my chest as I entered the shrine, the ghost of some cold fire. I pressed my hand to my heart, gasping slightly though the sharp pain had already faded into a dull thrum. It was as if something other than my heart pulsed in my chest, a steady beating that was almost painful.

Kourin frowned at me. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah," I replied, rubbing my chest. The feeling had already begun to fade. "I just... felt weird for a minute." I shrugged, blanketing the pain with a smile. "I guess I'm not pure enough to enter the shrine, ne?" Kourin laughed and tugged me forward. The echo of pain lingered in my chest, but it was faint enough that I could ignore it; it was our birthday, and I wouldn't let something I'm not sure I didn't imagine ruin it.

We meandered through the long hallway toward the temple's dining hall, following the low murmur of our parents' voices, to where our family was waiting for us. The temple was quiet, however, and our conversation echoed through the hallway. We fell silent as we entered the vast hall, meeting the solemn stares of almost two dozen people. Our relatives were waiting for us around the dining table, silent and sober, and no one moved when we entered, save our grandfather.

"Welcome, children," he said gravely as he stood.

I looked around, searching through the sea of faces for a smile, a frown, anything but the horrible emptiness they had all carefully schooled onto their features. "Mom?" I said hesitantly as Kourin gripped my arm. "Dad? What's going on? I thought - I thought this was our birthday party."

"It is," our grandfather said, walking around the table to stand before us. A forced smile made its way onto his features, though it didn't reach his eyes. "And I have a very special gift for you two." He handed us a box wrapped in plain white tissue paper. "Ryuen. Kourin. Happy sixteenth birthday."

Sharing a bewildered glance with Kourin, I took the box, cradling it carefully in my hands. "Uh, thanks, Grandpa," I said.

"Don't thank me yet," he murmured, watching us.

I met Kourin's gaze as she frowned over at me; her hands were shaking as she tore the paper and slid the lid off the box. I peered inside it carefully, afraid of what I'd find. The uncomfortable, almost-pain in my chest had returned, and the anxious stares of my relatives burned into me like ice.

Inside the box was a scroll, ancient and worn, held together by an equally brittle scrap of leather. Kourin reached in to lift it, but I pulled the box away from her, fearing what the scroll might hold. _Wait a minute. This is my grandfather. He'd never hurt either of us. What am I afraid of? _Yet, I could not banish the tight knot of fear in my stomach, and the pressure in my chest was growing worse.

"Ryuen?" Kourin murmured.

"I'll open it," I said quietly, laying the box on the table. I couldn't quite hide the tremor in my voice; whatever might happen, I didn't want Kourin hurt. _This is insane . . . I'm acting like a two-year-old afraid of the dark!_ Whatever I was expecting to jump out of the scroll, I was wrong; nothing happened when I untied the leather and carefully unrolled the ancient scroll. It was long, much longer than I'd originally thought. I only unrolled a few inches of the yellowed parchment, revealing the careful strokes of four kanji, their ink still dark and striking.

"They're names," Kourin said quietly beside me. "Genbu . . . Seiryu . . . " She gasped.

"Byakko and Suzaku," my grandfather finished.

_Suzaku . . ._

The pressure in my chest exploded into a thousand shards of glass that ripped through my body, tearing, burning, melting until all that was left of me was a scream of agony. All I could see was red, the red of blood, of fire, of pain. I writhed in the ocean of crimson for what seemed like a lifetime, gasping breaths of red and crying tears of blood.

A presence invaded the never-ending crimson, one I could see only with my heart, and laid a cool hand on my forehead. Red gave way to a voice, a sound that was both beautiful and horrible, that was infinitely familiar but that I knew I had never heard before, for it would have left me deaf. It was a voice my heart knew as Suzaku.

_"Nuriko . . ."_

The voice whispered a name that thundered in my ears, and the name turned into a word, a symbol that glowed against the red. Its brightness nearly blinded me, and when I closed my eyes and screamed in pain again, the symbol burned against my eyelids. I opened my eyes to see the red fading away, fading into the brightness of the symbol along with the pain. Soon it was gone, and I was left hanging numbly in darkness with the symbol pulsing crimson before me.

_"Nuriko . . ."_

And then I opened my eyes to see the temple ceiling above me, and the symbol glowing crimson over my chest. My clothes were ripped and torn, but there were no marks on my body, save for the red lines of the symbol. A red mist hung around me, but it was already fading, and I sat up.

Kourin lay beside me, nearly covered by the same mist, only hers was white, and no glowing symbol appeared to burn it way. I croaked her name and crawled over to her, reaching through the mist to grab her shoulder. A hand stopped me before I could reach her, closing around my wrist and yanking me backward.

"Don't touch her!" my grandfather snapped, shoving me aside as he knelt by my sister's prone form.

"Grandpa?" I stammered, pushing weakly to my knees. "W - What happened? I . . . Is Kourin all right?" _Dear God, what's going on? _"She's not . . . She's not dead, is she?"

Flicking a glare over his shoulder, he ran his hand across Kourin's forehead, not quite touching her skin. "She's not the one to be worried about." He turned to face me, and I realized that several people had surrounded me, all of them strangers I had never seen before.

I instinctively pressed my hand to my chest where the symbol still glowed. "What happened to us? What was on that scroll?"

He stood, motioning for another man, long-haired and willowy, to tend to Kourin. Towering over me, my grandfather crossed his arms and met my gaze with a hard stare. "That scroll is _The Universe of the Four Gods, _the resting place of the four Gods who rule Heaven and Earth." He gestured toward the white walls of the temple. "This family has served Byakko for centuries, and has waited for the day when his priestess would be born and awaken him."

"I don't understand," I whispered.

My grandfather glanced toward my sister's still unconscious form, then leveled his dark gaze on me. "Your sister will become the priestess of Byakko and summon him from the Heavens. Byakko will seal away the other three gods and rule this world, with the Chou family as his loyal followers."

I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and pressed my hand more firmly against my chest, though the pain was gone. "And me?"

My grandfather's eyes grew cold as he stepped toward me, pointing at the red glow that my hand couldn't hide. "You are a Suzaku shichiseishi, and so an enemy of Byakko. Of _us_."

"What?" I breathed, dizzy with confusion and the lingering haze of red.

My grandfather took another step closer. "You are now our enemy, Ryuen. We can't allow you to find your god."

Suddenly the world turned dark, and the last thing I saw was the ring of people around me closing in, all with swords in their hands.

-x-


	2. Run Away

Answers to some reviews:**dimonyo-anghel** - Tamahome won't be Yuuhi, because that would mean he would be in love with Nuriko. Eww.  
**Nagem** - Hope this was fast enough for you! I've been really busy, and I've had the chapter done for a while but didn't have time to post it. Sorry! Next one won't take so long.  
**AyaMikage2002** - Thanks.  
**Silver Pain**- Byakko technically isn't evil, but that will become evident later in the story. And I chose Byakko because I know more of the Byakko seishi than Genbu, and Seiryu was already developed enough with Yui. Plus, I love Tatara. He'll have a big part in the story.  
**Blue Fluff** - Thanks.  
**Shy Girl1988** - Thanks.  
**SilenceIsGolden13** - I don't know where to start. First off, thanks for the great review! That's the kind I like! Second. No, Ryuen doesn't go crazy, and his parents don't really play a big part in the story, so they won't be appearing much anymore. But yes, Hotohori is the Touya character. I won't go into much detail, 'cos it would ruin the story, but yes, he works for the Chou and he's still a Suzaku seishi. And yes, your review was a spoiler. Thanks so much. Third. No, there will be no Chidori or Yuuhi, unless you maybe stretch it and make Tasuki Yuuhi, since I know the Nuriki/Tasuki pairing is popular. Fourth. As of right now, I don't plan to kill one of the Suzaku seishi, but at least one person you mentioned will die. Whether they stay dead, now that's another question. Thanks again for the review!

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Two: Run Away**

Reality came trickling slowly back, and I blinked several times to clear the lingering red haze from my vision. I was standing in my grandfather's temple, in the dining hall, with my family staring fearfully at me from their places around the long table. I glanced down to see the bodies of several people lying haphazardly around me, several holding swords and others laying beside them.

I stumbled backwards "What . . . ?"

My mother burst into tears, her sobs echoing through the otherwise silent hall. Someone whispered, "I told you so," and suddenly the room filled with startled murmurs and accusations. I looked desperately toward my father, hoping for some clue to what had happened, but he was leaning protectively over my mother and refused to look up at me. I glanced around the table, but no one would meet my gaze, and those who would only glared at me with hatred.

Something moved behind me, and I spun to see Kourin lying unconscious on the ground, her face pale, her body glowing a faint white. A man knelt over her, watching me warily. Then my view of her was blocked, and I looked up to face my grandfather. "Grandpa," I sighed, nearly sinking to my knees in relief. He would help me, would reassure me that everything was all right, because if not, I was afraid that I would go insane. "What happened?" I asked breathlessly, my voice quavering. "Why is Kourin - why is everyone - "

"Ryuen," he growled, silencing me with an accusatory glare.

I looked down to see the symbol glowing crimson on my chest, and I remembered.

"You did this, Ryuen," he said evenly, waving his hand at the bodies scattered around me. "You killed them, innocent men and women."

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. I took a step backward, covering my chest with one hand as if to hide my guilt. "You - you tried to kill me. You said . . . You said I was your _enemy,_ and you tried to kill me. I only fought back . . . "

My grandfather made a gesture with his hand, and one of my uncles made their way to the service door in the back, reappearing a few moments later with several more strangers. "In order to protect this family and Kourin," he said, "you must die, Ryuen. You are a great threat." The strangers stalked toward me.

"No," I breathed, staggering backward. "No!" I stumbled through the maze of bodies, dashing toward the main door. I could hear my pursuers giving chase, but I stumbled on, ducking through dark, unfamiliar hallways until I was outside near the forest and the meditating pools. I ran into the cover of the trees in hopes of finding a place to hide from death, who was chasing my in the guise of my grandfather. I shoved all thoughts of Kourin and my family out of my mind, afraid that tears would blur my vision and I'd stumble into one of my pursuers.

It seemed like I'd run for a lifetime before my legs collapsed beneath me and I stumbled to the ground. A light rain had started, plastering my long hair to my face where it had come free of its braid. I crawled to a nearby tree and leaned back against its trunk, but the pounding of my heart and the icy fear coursing through me gave me the strength to stand. I grabbed a branch and began to climb, my body moving mechanically. I was drowning in my own fear and despair, emotions that weighed me down until I could barely pull myself into the branches.

Voices murmured below me, and I froze, clinging to the branch with white-knuckled fingers. Two of my pursuers came into view below me, a man and a woman wearing the Chou colors. They walked almost silently, and I could see the gleam of weapons tucked into their belts. "This is madness, Subaru. We're out here in the rain looking for a little boy while we could be searching for the other seishi. He ain't gonna get far by himself, and doesn't know enough about what he is to _do _anything more."

The woman sighed. "Suzaku shichiseishi or not, I can't help but feel sorry for the boy. He doesn't understand what's happening, only that his family is trying to kill him, and his twin sister is now his enemy." The man grunted something I couldn't catch, and the woman sighed again. "I know, Tokaki. But still, it's sad . . . "

Tears burned at my eyes, but I blinked them away angrily. I couldn't afford to cry right now, no matter how much her words hurt . . . I'd never find enough tears for this, and I'd exhaust myself trying.

I made it halfway up the tree before the rain got harder, hammering into me and driving me back down. I slipped again, this time losing my grip completely, and cried out in fear as I fell, clawing at branches as I squeezed my eyes shut. I could feel the ground rushing up to meet me, and I braced myself to meet the hard ground. But something stopped my fall, something warm and firm that held me tight until I caught my breath. When I finally found the strength to open my eyes, I met a pair of wide eyes that blinked down at me in surprise.

The young man stared at me for a while, his mouth poised to speak, but no words came out. Finally he shook his head and smiled. "Hello, Ryuen."

I stared at him for a moment before taking in the honey-brown eyes, the long chestnut hair, and the white shirt emblazoned with the Chou crest. "No!" I cried, and wrenched myself from his arms. They tightened around me, holding me still.

"Hush," he murmured, clamping one hand over my mouth. "They'll hear you." I stopped struggling, and he loosened his hold, but didn't put me down. "They're looking for you, your family. They've hired several assassins, as well as the three Byakko shichiseishi they've found. They want to kill you."

"Aren't you one of them?" I whispered around his fingers, unable to wrench my gaze away from his eyes.

Nodding, he smiled, a little sadly this time. "I have a debt to pay to this family."

A shiver ran through me, then another, and another until I was trembling in his arms. "W - what are you going to do with me?" I stammered.

"My orders were to find you and kill you," he stated simply. But his warm eyes found mine again, and he blinked.

_My grandfather . . . hired people to kill me. _The tears came this time, pouring out like blood from a wound that would never heal. The man held me close as I sobbed into his shoulder, gasping out my anger and fear and hurt into the humid evening air. What had happened to Kourin? Was she still alive, or had the light done something to her, too? Why had my parents brought us here, knowing what my grandfather had planned? And why was my family trying to kill me? "I don't - I don't know what I did wrong," I sobbed. "Why do they hate me so much?"

The man's arms tightened around me again, then loosened as he lowered me to the ground. He tilted my chin up with his fingers, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You did nothing wrong," he said firmly. "They are afraid of you, of your power." He ran his fingertips across the symbol still glowing faintly on my chest. "You are a warrior of the god Suzaku, and with your power, along with your other seishi, your priestess could summon Suzaku and ruin their plans. That is why they want you dead."

"I don't want to do any of that," I cried, wiping my eyes wearily. "I just want everything to be normal again."

Brushing rain-soaked hair from his eyes, the man sighed. "I'm afraid 'normal' is gone forever. You cannot escape what you are. Eventually, your priestess will come looking for you. I only hope she finds you before your family does." He looked around him, squinting through the raindrops. "They're coming back." He turned back to me, and those honey-colored eyes met mine again. "Run, Ryuen. Get as far away as possible, and don't ever let your guard down. The Chou have eyes everywhere. Find your miko." He gave me one last smile before turning back toward the temple. "Stay safe, Ryuen."

"Wait!" I gasped. He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Why are you letting me go?"

He shook his head and glanced back at me, golden eyes shadowed with something I couldn't name. "I don't know," he said after a moment. With that, he disappeared into the forest, leaving me alone in the dying light.

I could still see his warm brown eyes smiling down at me as I ran.

-x-


	3. Priestess

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Three: Priestess**

I wandered in a daze for hours, trying to lose myself in the rain so the world would lose sight of me. I'd long ago stumbled away from the temple grounds, running from my family and the assassins wearing their colors until I'd made my way back into the city. The streets were deserted; the rain had chased most people away, and I was alone in the dark night.

Images flashed through my mind as I ran: my grandfather handing us the box, the kanji sprawling across its pages. The endless red. Kourin unconscious on the floor. The gleam of a blade as the assassins closed in on me. The warm brown eyes of the man who was supposed to kill me.I could still hear my grandfather's voice ordering my death, and Suzaku's voice whispering the word that sealed my fate. _"Nuriko . . ."_

_Why is all this happening? Why can't things be normal? Why can't I just be a normal teenager, living a normal life, having a normal birthday? Why does my family want to kill me?_

_Why do I even have to think about this?_

A car splashed through the puddles in the street, and I started at the sudden break in the silence. It slowed to a stop in front of me, and the beginnings of fear crept into my stomach. _"Don't ever let your guard down. The Chou have eyes everywhere._" I took a step backward as the car door opened, ready to turn and run. But some part of me still hoped - prayed - that this was only a bad dream, and my grandfather would step out and smile, offering me his hand, and tell me that everything was all right.

A girl stepped out of the car, grinning as she ducked under her umbrella. "Hi, Nuriko."

A red haze covered my vision, and I could feel the symbol start to glow on my chest. I brought one hand up to cover it and stepped backward, shuddering.

_"Nuriko . . ."_

_Is that . . . my name?_

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"My name is Miaka," she replied cheerily. I could barely hear her over the pounding of my heart and the steady rhythm of the rain. Murmuring her name, I shivered, suddenly cold. She walked around the car and held her umbrella over me, smiling again. "You're soaked, and your clothes are torn to shreds! Come on, get in. You'll get sick if you stay out here any longer."

Shaking my head, I stepped backwards, shivering so hard I nearly tripped. "No," I said hoarsely. _"Don't ever let your guard down." _I took another step back. "No."

The girl's smile faded, and she clung to her umbrella like a lifeline, wide brown eyes pleading. "Please. I've been looking for you. You're a Suzaku shichiseishi." She pointed to my chest. "You're Nuriko, aren't you? The willow seishi."

I shook my head again, fighting off the rush of dizziness that threatened to send me to my knees. The crimson was nearly drowning me, and her words were only added to the sea of fear swelling around me. "No! My name is Ryuen. I don't - I'm not . . ."

"Please," she whispered. "I'm the priestess of Suzaku. You're one of my seishi - I need your help . . ."

I squeezed my eyes shut. _"Find your miko." _The man's words echoed in my mind, swirling, whispering, blocking out the sound of my grandfather's voice. I wanted to believe him - believe her - but it was all too strange. And yet, I knew her words were true, for I could sense the same power in her that I felt in Suzaku's voice. But I didn't want to go with her, I wanted to go back to the temple, back to my family and Kourin, back to my life.

_But I don't even know if Kourin's alive, and my family wants me dead. And my life? Is only a dream now..._

I never had the chance to decide, because a voice shouted my name, and two people wearing the Chou colors dashed out of the shadows, weapons drawn. "There he is!" one of them shouted. I froze, a cry of fear stuck in my throat as they headed toward me.

"Come on!" Grabbing my arm, Miaka dove into the car, shouting to the blue-haired man in the front seat. "Go, Taka!" Wheels screeching against the wet street, the car lurched forward, leaving my two pursuers with only the rain and the echoes of my scream.

Still frozen, I sat sprawled in the back seat of the car, staring blankly at Miaka as she shook her head, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "Phew!" she grinned. "That was close! Who the heck was that?"

I stared at her for a moment, caught between disbelief and despair. Suddenly it was all too much to bear, and I brought my hands up to cover my face, tears burning my cheeks and streaking the world red. Her arms circled my shoulders comfortingly, and she murmured that it was all right, that they were gone. We sat like that for a long while, her hand rubbing soft circles on my back as I cried. It wasn't until I heard another voice - a deeper, masculine voice - that I remembered there was someone else in the car. I blinked open swollen eyes, flushing as he offered me a smile through the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded, not trusting my voice to remain steady. Sniffing a few times, I rubbed at my eyes with the soaking remains of my shirt sleeve, which only left them more wet than they were before. The man reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a handful of tissues, then handed them back to me. "My name's Taka, by the way," he said with a small smile.

"Ryuen," I hiccupped.

"Here," Miaka said, smiling gently. "You're soaked . . . What happened? Why were you out in the rain with your clothes all ripped up?"

"It's . . . a long story," I sighed, leaning back against the seat. _One I still can't believe I'm a part of. . ._

"Well, you can start by telling us who is chasing you," Taka said. "That was some expensive weaponry they were sporting."

Closing my eyes, I fought back the tears. "They were - they were hired by my family."

"Your family?" The girl glanced out the back window. "But they were trying to kill you!"

"I know," I whispered.

Silence hung heavy between us for a long while, with Taka glaring at the road in front of him and Miaka staring at me with a mix of pity and horror. She finally broke the silence with a shuddering sigh. "My God . . ." She reached out and slipped her hand in mine. "Why?" she asked softly.

"Because of this," I replied bitterly, pointed at the symbol still glowing faintly on my chest. Anger replaced the despair in me, and I clenched my hands into fists. "Because I'm a some kind of Suzaku warrior, and because my family serves the god Byakko. Because now I'm their _enemy!"_ I paused to suck in a shuddering breath. "My sister is still with them - I don't even know if she's alive! They say she's the priestess of Byakko, that she's my enemy too!" I let out a deep breath, and with it went all my energy. I slouched back against the seat and closed my eyes again. "It's all a bad dream."

Miaka's hand found mine again, and she gave it a reassuring pat. "It'll be all right, you'll see. We can talk when we get to our apartment," she said. "At least it's dry there."

We drove in silence for a long time; where, I didn't know. The steady hum of the engine lulled me into a kind of trance, and I watched the world pass by through half-lidded eyes. I watched my reflection in the window, trying to find something dark about it, some feature that belied an evil hidden within me. But it looked completely normal to me, if a little haunted.

_So why do the people I love want to kill me? Just because of this symbol on my chest? Are those few tiny lines that important? _I rubbed the spot unconsciously, grimacing at its reflection in the mirror. _Would Kourin hate me because of it? _It seemed to be fading; it was barely noticeable now, merely a faint crimson outline against pale skin. _Maybe it will go away completely. They can't hate me if it's not there, right?_

I glared at it one more time before something caught my eye outside. A glowing neon sign flickered behind us, growing smaller as the car moved on. I looked ahead. We'd turned onto a narrow street lined with old houses, most of them single-story homes. A single light shone in the window of one of them. "Wait!" I cried.

Miaka jumped, startled from a shallow sleep by my cry. Taka slowed to a stop, then glanced at me through the rear-view mirror. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"That's my house," I replied, fumbling for the door handle. "There's a light on - someone's home. My parents, or Kourin." _They'll know what's going on, and tell me it was all a mistake. Kourin will be waiting inside, and she'll be fine. This was all a bad dream!_

Ignoring the protests of Miaka and Taka, I stumbled from the car and ran up the sidewalk to the door, pushing at the handle. "Mom!" I yelled, pounding on the knocker when I found it locked. "Dad! Kourin! Let me in! Please!"

"Wait!" Taka yelled. I spun around to face them as they hurried up the sidewalk. "There's someone else in there - other celestial warriors. I can sense Byakko's aura in there."

I heard footsteps behind the door and spun back around. The door swung open suddenly, and I darted forward, ready to throw myself in my mother's arms. But it wasn't her standing there, I realized suddenly; it was the woman who had been chasing me at the temple. On her chest was the same type of symbol as mine, only hers glowed an unearthly white.

She grabbed my arm, pulling me inside. I struggled against her, but she was stronger than I was, and she wrenched me forward as Taka and Miaka shouted behind me. Another person stepped from the shadows behind us - the man she had been with at the temple - and moved to stand between me and the others. My arms held tight behind me in the woman's grip, I watched her partner slide into a fighting stance, his gaze darting between Miaka and Taka. "Take him inside, Subaru," he said. "I'll deal with them." He pulled the door shut, locking me inside the familiar confines of my living room.

"No!" I shouted, writhing into motion again. But a voice cut through the night, freezing my blood and my body as it echoed through the shadows of the room.

"Stop struggling, Ryuen." It was my grandfather.

The woman - Subaru - turned to face him and inclined her head. "There are others outside. One of them is a Suzaku shichiseishi. Tokaki is dealing with them."

"Grandpa," I whispered. "What's going on?"

"Why did you come back?" he demanded, ignoring my question.

I gaped in shock for a moment, unable to understand why my grandfather was acting this way, and finally stammered an answer. "I - I thought my parents might be here, or - or Kourin . . ."

"Forget about them." He took a step toward me, forcing me to look up into his eyes. "They've already forgotten about you."

His words echoed through my mind for a long moment before hitting me with enough force to send me stumbling back against the woman. "Why are you doing this?" I cried. "You're supposed to be my family! Why do you want to _kill _me?" I jerked against the vice-like grip on my arms only to have my grandfather step forward and slap me hard, his face red with anger.

"_You are no longer a part of this family!" _he snarled. "You are a danger, a threat, and must be_ eliminated!"_

I blanched at his words, watching as my world crumbled into burning tears around me. The symbol suddenly blazed on my chest, a glaring red in the dim light, and strength rushed through me such as I'd never felt before. The woman gave a cry of pain as I wrenched away from her, cradling the hand I jarred backwards against her chest. I stumbled backward into a table, turning to face my grandfather, and shook my head as tears of anger welled in my eyes. "This isn't fair," I whispered. "This isn't fair!"

"Ryuen," he cried, eyes shining with hate . . . and fear.

The door flung open behind me, and I glanced back to see Miaka and Taka running toward me. The woman took advantage of my distraction to lunge at me, but I spun away from her to sprint past Miaka and through the door. I couldn't see where I was going through the tears and the rain, but I didn't care. All I knew was that I needed to get away from that house, from my grandfather, from everything before the whole world collapsed around me. A shout broke the steady rhythm of my breathing, and I turned to see the woman chasing after me, with Taka close behind her.

Rain had made the pavement slick and slippery, and I didn't see the puddle in front of me until my foot slipped on it. I went crashing to the ground with the woman only a few feet behind me. She skidded to a halt in the grass beside me, her face drawn with a grim determination. She raised one hand, poised to attack, and I closed my eyes. Was this how I was to die, then? At the hands of an assassin hired by my own grandfather simply for the color of the symbol on my chest?

The blow never came, however; Taka reached her first, and with a painful gasp she crumpled to the ground at my feet. Her white clothes were tinted an eerie crimson by the energy surrounding Taka's fist - an energy that glowed the same unearthly red that branded my chest. And on his forehead . . .

Hearing my gasp, he looked up and hurried over to me, kneeling and grabbing me by the arm. "Are you okay?" he asked. When I didn't reply, he frowned and turned back toward Miaka, who slowed, panting, to a halt beside him. "Come on. We need to get you somewhere they can't find you." I scrambled to my feet, turning back toward my house, staring at the open door with a horrible sense of foreboding and loss. Though every inch of me wanted to run back there, to find my parents and Kourin, I knew now that I could never go back there. This wasn't a dream - it wasn't even a nightmare - it was reality, strange and deadly and somehow mine. I let Taka lead me back to the car, staring mournfully at the dark outline of what was once my home.

_Not . . . any longer_.

-x-


	4. Legend

A/N: This is kind of a slow chapter, with mainly dialogue and explanations. A lot of questions are answered in this chapter, so pay attention! And, just to clear things up, _this is an AU fic! It does not take place after Eikoden, or before it, or anytime on the FY timeline! _If anything, it happens after everything, because there are a few subtle references to their past lives as seishi.

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Four: Legend**

The rest of the ride was made in silence, with Taka concentrating warily on the road and Miaka dozing lightly beside me. She'd tried to start a conversation - several, actually - but had finally given up when I'd merely stared blankly at her. My mind wasn't up for conversation right now; it was too fogged with confusion and fear and hurt to even listen to her words.

_My parents set a trap for me._

The thought swirled through my mind with all the blazing force of a comet, a cold despair riding its tail. How could my parents do this? Was it that easy for love to change to hate? Was this symbol really that evil?

_That man talked about other celestial warriors, ones that serve the god Byakko. Are they evil too because they have these symbols? But they serve my family. Why am I any different? Just because mine is red?_

_This isn't fair!_

The car slowed to a stop, and I shook myself out of my daze as Taka turned to smile at me. "You awake?" I nodded, and he glanced at Miaka. "Glad someone is," he muttered. "Miaka." Reaching back to shake her shoulder, he called her name again. "Miaka, wake up!"

Brown eyes blinked before she grinned sleepily and sat up. "Are we there yet, Taka?"

"Yes," he smiled.

"Come on, Nuriko!" Miaka cried, bouncing in her seat. "We have ice cream and soda and cookies and hot chocolate! And Taka can cook us dinner, even though it's kinda late . . . I'm starving!"

"My name is Ryuen," I said sharply. "Not Nuriko."

Miaka stopped in mid-bounce and glanced at Taka. "Oh. I - I'm sorry."

"Come on inside," Taka said gently, opening the door. "We can talk in there."

I followed him almost mechanically, getting out of the car and hurrying through the rain into the apartment complex. Their apartment was on the third floor; I stumbled on the stairs, my body nearly exhausted. I'd run more tonight than any time I could remember, and combined with the strain of tears, I was ready to collapse. Miaka caught my arm, steadying me, and I leaned on her shoulder the rest of the way.

Their apartment was tiny: one bedroom, a living room, kitchen and dining room, and a bathroom. It was cozy though, if a little messy, with leftover plates and glasses still laying in various places around the room. But it was warm and dry, and the offered couch looked inviting. I managed to find enough energy to change into a pair of Taka's pants and a t-shirt – both too big, but my clothes were ripped and torn, and I was freezing.

I finally collapsed onto the couch, cradling a cup of hot chocolate in my hands as Miaka changed into something dry in the bedroom and Taka hummed in the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" he called over his shoulder.

"No, thank you," I replied quietly. My stomach was churning with a tangle of emotions, and just the thought of food made me sick.

"I am!" Miaka called cheerfully as she emerged from the bedroom.

"That's a given," Taka muttered.

"Hey!" Miaka glared at him. "What are you trying to say?" Taka laughed as she tried to look imposing, and she smiled impishly back before leaning up to kiss him.

Closing my eyes, I could almost lose myself in their playful banter, in the sense of hominess I felt. Here, there were no assassins, there were no beast gods warring for power, there were no families pitted against their own because of a glowing symbol. Here, siblings weren't enemies, and your destiny wasn't decided by the color of your heart.

"Ryuen?"

_I don't want to be him anymore . . . _I opened my eyes slowly to meet the dark blue gaze of Taka. The couch shifted as Miaka sat beside me, smiling encouragingly around a mouthful of rice balls, and Taka perched on the arm behind her. My gaze shifted between the two until I finally settled on Miaka. "Please," I whispered hoarsely. "Tell me what's going on."

Swallowing her food, Miaka looked down at her plate, then up at Taka. "I'm not exactly sure," she said quietly before looking back to me. "We were hoping you could tell us."

I shook my head, on the verge of tears again. "I don't know! This is all crazy!"

"Ryuen," Taka said calmly. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the Four Gods?" When I shook my head, he continued. "Four beast gods rule the Universe - Byakko, Seiryu, Suzaku, and Genbu. It is said that there was once a great war between the four gods, and their combined power nearly destroyed the world - and _did _destroy their corporeal bodies. Ever since, the four gods have existed merely as spirits, as souls, and are waiting for their chance to be reborn. In order to do that, each god must choose his priestess, his miko, and she in turn must find her seven warriors. That's the legend you're now a part of."

"Priestess," I repeated. "That's - my grandfather said my sister was the priestess of Byakko. That she would summon Byakko for them, and they'd serve him when his nation was restored."

Taka nodded, frowning. "But there is another priestess - Miaka. And that's the problem." He shared a glance with Miaka, then turned his dark eyes back to me. "Only one priestess is supposed to appear at a time. Otherwise, the stories overlap and get tangled in each other."

"So then . . ." I bit my lip, my knuckles white around my mug. "Then what happens to Kourin? She won't - she won't die, will she?"

Miaka reached out to squeeze my hand. "Nothing will happen to her."

"But you said you didn't know what was going on," I whispered. "How could you be sure that - ?" I sucked in a deep breath.

"I'm not sure," Miaka said steadily. "But I'll do everything I can to help protect your sister. That I _can _promise."

"But if you both become priestesses and summon your gods . . ."

"We can't," Miaka interjected. "Only one beast god can be summoned at a time. In order to summon a god, a priestess must have the ancient scroll called that is said to house the souls of the four gods. The scroll is burned in the ceremony, but it reappears each time a priestess is born. We just need to find that scroll - and the other five celestial warriors - before your fam - before they do."

"They've already found at least three," I said quietly, knowing with a certainty that the man and woman chasing me had been warriors, as well as the strange man who'd knelt beside my sister. They exuded a power similar to the one I sensed in Taka's attack, and in the strength that had rushed through my body. I shuddered at the memory and turned to stare blankly at the wall. "And now they have their priestess, too." _What am I doing? I'm talking as if they're my enemies! They're my family!_

Miaka grinned, oblivious to the heart-stricken tears that clouded my vision. "We have two - you and Taka! And me! So they're only one ahead!"

"They also need the scroll, though." Taka shifted, leaning back against the wall. "_The Universe of the Four Gods. _ They need it to summon Byakko. _We _need it to summon Suzaku. And if we can find it first -" He stopped as I shuddered. "What?"

I frowned up at him, wide-eyed. "_The Universe of the Four Gods?_" I whispered. "They already have it. It's what they used to bring out these powers in us. My grandfather gave it to us."

Miaka spun to face her boyfriend, brown eyes large and dark. "Are you sure?" Taka asked sharply. "It wasn't just a copy, or just an old history text?"

I nodded. I wasn't certain how I knew, but I was positive that it was the scroll. There was some power about it, a power that awakened an echoing energy inside me. "It was the real thing," I whispered.

"Okay, so maybe they're two ahead," Taka muttered.

"We can still win!" Miaka exclaimed. "It can't be that hard to find five people, and at least we _know_ where the scroll is! And I'll use my wishes to seal all the gods away for good-"

"Wishes?" I murmured, perplexed.

"When one of the gods appears before his priestess, he grants her three wishes in return for awakening him." Taka frowned and looked out the window at the rain. "I think that's what your family plans to do - to use those wishes for themselves."

I shook my head, which was spinning through a maelstrom of roiling emotions. Everything was jumbled; nothing quite made sense in the thunderstorm of my thoughts. "Kourin would never do that." I moved to stand, but a rain of dizziness crashed down on me, and I sank back to the couch. "This is crazy. I - I'm going to find her." Despite my words, I remained where I was, barely able to summon the energy to speak.

Laying her plate on the couch beside her, Miaka slipped her hand from Taka's and moved to kneel on the floor in front of me. Her small hands slipped around mine, curling around them as mine were curled around my mug. I blinked down at her, confused and somewhat surprised. Desperation shone in her eyes, but there was also determination and hope. They were the eyes of a priestess willing to sacrifice anything for her god, but also the eyes of a girl, young and afraid, thrust into a situation she had no idea how to handle. The same emotions glittered in her eyes that burned through my soul.

"Please," she murmured. "I need your help, Ryuen. I can't allow Byakko to be summoned. We must summon Suzaku first and use his power to seal Byakko away. But I need all my seishi to do it. I know I'm asking a terrible thing of you, but you have to help me."

Blinking, I stared blankly at her for a moment for her words finally sank in. "You're asking me to fight my own family?"

"No," Miaka said softly. "Just help me stop them."

I shook my head, feeling the hot sting of tears again. "Kourin would never do something like that. You're wrong."

"Threatened the right way, she might," Taka said as he stood and made his way to Miaka's side. "If someone threatened to kill her, what would you do to save her?"

"Anything," I replied instantly.

"Don't you think her answer would be the same?" Miaka asked softly.

Her words sunk in slowly, and all their implications with them. Kourin _was _my enemy, for the simple fact that she was my sister. "No," I whispered. Miaka's hand tightened on mine, but I ignored her. Dread hung heavy in my heart, the same dread that paralyzed me outside of my grandfather's temple. "This isn't right." Kourin . . . Kourin would never do anything evil. She couldn't. Kourin had always been the gentle one, quiet and sweet, selfless and caring. The shadow of Taka's words couldn't touch her, couldn't come near her brightness. Yet she would be forced to take part in my family's plot, forced to fight against me in this war.

_I can't face her. She's my twin, the other half of me. How can I fight her?_

But the other part of me, the part that belonged to this story, to Suzaku, whispered that I had a duty, one wrapped in glowing crimson and tied to a brown-haired girl. I had another to serve and love, who knew me better than anyone, even Kourin. I had another family, an ever closer family - the one standing before me now, one that didn't hate me or want to kill me.

_"Forget about them. They've already forgotten about you."_

_I . . . I can't._

_They're my family._

_No matter what they've done, they're still my family._

_But . . . they set a trap for me! _

_They tried to kill me!_

_But . . . _

_But, they're still my family. I love them._

_My parents, my uncles, my aunts, my grandfather . . ._

_Kourin . . ._

_How can I call them my enemies?_

I opened my eyes to stare out the window, saw the glowing symbol reflecting in the glass, then closed them against the sight.

Slowly, I opened my eyes again, my heart heavy as I met Miaka's gaze. "I'll help you," I said quietly. "I'll save Kourin, and things will go back to normal . . ." If my heart had been heavy before, my words were rocks that weighed it down until it lay broken and bleeding on the floor for all the world to step on. "No matter what." _I'm sorry Mom, Dad . . . Grandpa . . . But if this will make everything go back, back to when we were just us, to when colors were harmless . . ._

"Really?" she whispered. "Are you sure?"

Another voice echoed hers, a deeper, beautiful, deafening voice that shook my soul. I nodded to both of them. "Yes."

"Yes!" Miaka crowed, jumping to her feet. "Only five more to go!"

_Nuriko . . ._

The voice in my head smiled, approving, and the pain squeezing my heart lessened some. Pushing that pain beneath the hope that everything would go back to normal if I played this role out to the end, I let myself get caught up in Miaka's excitement, riding the wave of happiness that poured from her as she hugged me. I thanked whatever god was watching that she was too distracted to notice my tears.

-x-


	5. Unwilling Priestess

A/N: As for your question, FlonTed, I do plan to focus on other characters. Nuriko is the main character, though, so his will be the main pov. Every two or three chapters I'll write a one from another character's pov. Kourin, Sai, Miaka, and maybe even Chichiri will be featured.

This chapter is for you, FlonTed!

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Five: Unwilling Priestess**

White blanketed my world, swirling, glowing, clinging to me like a silk kimono. I couldn't see through the white, couldn't even see the outline of my hand in front of my face. The white absorbed all color, blinding me; it absorbed any sounds, deafening me; it soaked up all feeling, leaving me numb and cold.

_Where am I?_

The last thing I remembered was Ryuen's cry of pain, then my own as we both dropped to the floor. And then, there was nothing but the white.

_What happened?_

The dark lines of four kanji hung in my mind, a stark contrast to the empty whiteness that smothered me. They, too, slowly faded into the white, until only one was left.

_"Byakko . . ."_

The white was shattered by a voice. _"Kourin."_

My name echoed through me, rattled me down to my soul. The voice spoke it as it had never been spoken before, not even by my twin. The voice infused it with such emotion, such meaning, that it frightened me. It was more than I was, more than I could ever hope to be, and yet, it was mine.

_"Kourin . . . I've been waiting for you."_

_Who are you?_

Even as I asked, I knew.

_Byakko._

_"Kourin, my priestess. You are my salvation."_

_Priestess? _I shivered as the white began creeping into my skin, into my soul, but I couldn't stop it. _I'm no priestess._

_"My priestess," _the beast god repeated softly, almost seductively. _"You will find my lost warriors and return my power to me, so that I can finally return to the world."_

_I don't -_ But the white had already begun to fade, and the voice with it. Soon I was alone in the regular darkness of sleep, which lasted for only a few minutes before giving way to the steady hum of wakefulness.

"Kourin."

Another voice breathed my name, but I knew it wasn't the beast god, for this voice was dull and empty compared to the god's, devoid of any music or beauty. I forced open heavy eyes and squinted through the sudden brightness. I recognized the white ceiling of the temple, but not the room I was in, or the man who knelt beside me. Sitting up, I realized that I was lying on a bed, with a blanket covering the tattered remains of my clothes. I pulled it up to my neck self consciously and glanced around me. "Where am I?"

"You're in one of the guest rooms in my temple," my grandfather said as he entered. "Tatara has been watching over you." He motioned toward the dark-haired young man who sat beside me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, surprised that it was the truth. Other than feeling a little shaky, I felt completely normal. "Where is Ryuen? Is he all right? I heard him scream–"

My grandfather shared a long glance with the man before sighing and frowning intently at the floor. "Kourin... Ryuen is dead," my grandfather said solemnly, folding my hand in his. "He fell to our warriors after he - after he tried to kill you."

I blinked at him, opening my mouth to reply but unable to find my voice. I flailed about for it, scrabbling against my grandfather's cold words. They ran over me like shards of glass, beating, cutting, but never sinking in. Among them I found my voice, shaky and bruised. "What?" I whispered finally. His words seemed to jumble in my head, not making any sense. I tried to string them together, but my mind could not place "Ryuen" and "dead" in the same sentence. I shook my head. "That's not . . ." My words died in my throat as my grandfather sighed heavily, squeezing my hand.

My grandfather shook his head. "He was . . . consumed . . . by his celestial powers, and he attacked you. He killed several people before we managed to . . . subdue him."

I stared at him for several moments, numb, before his words finally struck me. I reeled under their weight. "Ryuen's not dead," I said hoarsely. "I know - I would have felt it if he - if he . . ." I shook my head, squeezing my eyes against the tears that burned in them. His talk of warriors and powers only served to intensify the maelstrom of confusion inside me, for it meant nothing to me, save for the fact that it was linked to my grandfather's assertion that Ryuen was dead. "No! You're lying. Ryuen would never - he can't be . . ."

"I'm sorry, Kourin, but it's the truth." My grandfather frowned heavily at me, his eyes hard with the reflection of his words, and squeezed my hand.

"No!" I wrenched my hand away, bringing it up to stifle my sobs. "I don't believe it. I can't," I whispered. Tears streaked salty trails down my cheeks to fall onto the blanket clenched in my hands. Ryuen wasn't dead - he couldn't be! I would have known if something happened to him; he was the other half of me. Surely if he died, I would too . . .

I heard my grandfather speaking softly to the other man, but I couldn't make out their words. The world had sunk into white again, though this was the white of denial, the blinding white of pain. Through the mists of despair I heard the door click shut, and I was left in silence once more.

_Ryuen . . ._

A hand brushed my shoulder, and I started. Tatara was still here, his coal black eyes gazing gently at me as he squeezed my arm gently. He smiled down at me, his tanned features softening. "Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?"

"Just go away," I murmured, turning my back to him. "Leave me alone."

"Please," he murmured, his lilting voice cutting through my grief. "I'm here to serve you. Let me help you."

I jerked away from his touch, rubbing at my eyes. "There's nothing you can do."

"Priestess, please -"

"I'm not a priestess!" I cried, whirling to face him. "I'm just a normal teenager, and so is my brother! He would never kill anyone! There is nothing 'celestial' about us! Can't you just leave us alone, let things go back to how they were?"

The tears started again, all my anger and energy flowing out with them. This time I didn't try to stop them, or Tatara as he wrapped strong arms around me and pulled me close. I pressed my face into his shoulder and cried, clinging to his warmth and his fresh scent so like Ryuen's. It was a long while before the tears stopped, yet he continued to hold me, murmuring comforting words into my ear.

"I'm afraid," I whispered.

"Don't be," he murmured reassuringly. "You're safe here."

I shook my head, pressing closer to him. He was so warm . . . "I know Ryuen's alive. Why would my grandfather lie to me?"

Tatara merely looked away, his mouth tightening against something he might have said. Sitting back, I reached out hesitantly and laid a hand on his arm. "Please," I said quietly, "tell me what's going on. What was that scroll? What happened to us?"

Shifting on the bed, he took my hands in his and gazed at me intently. "You've been given a gift, my lady. A gift that is both a blessing and a curse. You are the priestess of the god Byakko." When I frowned and opened my mouth to protest, he shook his head. "It cannot be undone, now. You have awakened to your destiny. The soul of Byakko has touched you, claimed you as his, through that scroll, _The Universe of the Four Gods._ It is a legend that writes itself, a never-ending story of gods and priestesses and warriors."

"I don't understand -"

Tatara placed a finger over my lips, smiling gently. "I'll explain it. You know of the legend, yes? The tale of the four beast gods who rule the universe - Byakko, Suzaku, Seiryu, and Genbu?" When I nodded, sniffling, he smiled and continued. "Each god has a priestess, a miko, and seven warriors who serve her. Each miko lives her story, in which she must summon her god with the help of her seishi." He paused to look at me, his dark eyes warm yet unreadable as they leveled their steady gaze on me. "Once we find the Byakko warriors, you will have the power to summon Byakko, and he will grant you three wishes. Three seishi have already been found." He ran his fingers over the glowing outline of a symbol on his hand. "The other two are the assassins Tokaki and Subaru."

"And Ryuen?" I whispered.

Tatara frowned almost regretfully. "Your brother was revealed to be a Suzaku shichiseishi, a servant of one of the three gods who are Byakko's rivals and enemies."

"This is a dream," I murmured, shaking my head.

His frown deepened, darkening with worry. "My lady -"

"An enemy? He's my brother!" I felt the beginning of hysteria well up in me and stubbornly forced it down. "This is crazy, this talk of gods and priestesses and wishes. My brother and I are just normal teenagers, not part of some fairy tale."

"This is not a fairy tale, my lady," Tatara said, frowning. "You must believe, this is more serious than some mere fairy tale. The future of this world depends on the outcome of your story."

"I don't care about any of this!" I cried. "Don't they know that? I never asked to be a priestess! I don't want Ryuen to be my enemy!"

"My lady," he said firmly, taking my hand in his. "You need to rest. Things will be easier to understand once you've recovered your strength. Please, get some sleep." He gently pushed me back down to the bed and brushed my hair away from my face, a soft smile dawning on his face. "Call for me if you need anything. I won't be far."

I nodded, closing my eyes until I heard the door slide shut behind him. I had no intention of going to sleep, not after what happened last time I was unconscious in this temple. No - Ryuen was alive somewhere, I knew it. They were lying to me, my grandfather and this man. Why? Why would they tell me my brother was dead, that he had killed people? What were they trying to do to us?

_Ryuen . . . Where are you?_

I was more exhausted than I realized, for sleep began tugging at my mind soon after, but the haze I fell into this time was dark, not white, and I did not dream.

-x-


	6. Surprise Encounter

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Six: Surprise Encounter**

Violet eyes blinked sleepily back at me in the bathroom mirror, bleary and unfocused, as I ran a brush through my long hair. I'd decided to go back to school - after almost a week spent cooped inside Miaka and Taka's apartment, I was getting restless. To prevent my family from finding me easily, Taka had suggested that I transfer to Miaka's high school, which was closer to his college - and farther from the Chou temple. Since I came to live with them, they'd kept me under strict watch, and I needed space to breathe.

_I still can't believe it all. A week ago I was out with my friends and Kourin, singing karaoke and having a good time. And now . . . I'm running from my grandfather, who is trying to kill me all because of the red willow that sprouted on my chest._

"Ryuen?" A mess of brown hair appeared in the doorway, followed by two brown eyes as tired as my own. "You ready yet? We gotta get going."

"I'm coming." Fingers moving deftly, I twined my hair into a braid and tied the end off. I brushed a few fallen strands off my new Yotsubadai uniform - black with blue trim - and frowned at my reflection. "I look like a bruise in this," I grumbled. "Black and blue and purple."

Miaka laughed and moved to stand beside me. "Sorry," she giggled. "Maybe we could dye your hair blonde. You'd look good with blonde hair!"

I made a face at her in the mirror, and she burst into laughter again. Her laughter was infectious, and I joined in, glad to finally have someone to laugh with. Miaka was so bright, so cheerful, that not being in a good mood around her was hard. Around her, I could almost forget the reason _why _I was with her, and not Kourin.

Taka drove us to school that morning before heading to his college. Miaka walked me to class and ushered me to an empty desk behind hers. When the teacher called me up to introduce myself, I put on a smile, determined to start this new life off right.

_New life, new appearance. I might as well make the most of it. _It wasn't my nature to be gloomy anyway, and being back at school made things seem almost . . . normal.

Almost.

"Hello," I said, giving a small wave. "My name is Chou Ryuen, and I just transferred from Jonan High School . . ."

"Jonan?" Miaka whispered loudly as I returned to my seat. "You never told me you went to Jonan! That's the top school in the city! You're gonna let me copy your notes, right?"

Chuckling, I shook my head and dropped back into my seat. "You're hopeless, Miaka."

"Yuki!" the teacher bellowed. "Turn around!"

"Yessir!" she yelped, winking at me as she spun in her chair.

I sighed as the lesson began; though being back in school returned some sense of normalcy to my life, it was hard to fall back into the routine after everything that had happened. I tried to pay attention, but too many thoughts were crowding my mind, and the lesson had nothing to do with them. My gaze began to wander, and after spending a few mintues memorizing the back of my classmates' heads, I propped my head in my hands and looked out the window.

The Yotsubadai campus was very pretty, with rows of multicolored flowers and trees lining the field and sidewalk. The grounds were nearly empty this early; there was no phys. ed. class first period, and so everyone was inside trying to stay awake. A few girls were racing down the sidewalk toward the main office, no doubt late. Once they'd disappeared into the building, I let my gaze wander again. A movement by the front gates caught my eye, and I craned my neck for a better view. A figure stood near the row of trees, completely doused in shadows. It looked oddly familiar, though I couldn't place it. It looked like . . . I shook my head. I'd been seeing _him_ everywhere, at the edge of every thought, out of the corner of my eye whenever I blinked. Even in my dreams . . .

Then the figure slipped from the shadows into the light, and I gasped.

_It is him!_

"Ryuen?"

I turned at the sound of my name to see the entire class staring at me. The teacher frowned down at me. "Is something wrong?"

"No," I stammered, glancing out the window. "I - I'm just not feeling well. May I go to the nurse?"

Sighing, the teacher nodded, then turned back to his notes. "Now, let's try this again."

"Ryuen, are you okay? Do you want me to come with you?" Miaka whispered.

"I'll be fine," I replied, not stopping to explain. I was afraid he'd disappear into the shadows again before I had the chance to see him. That night was still a blur in my mind; I wasn't even completely sure he was real, and not a hallucination dreamed up by my still-addled mind. _This is crazy. It's probably not even him, just my eyes playing tricks on me. Besides, I don't even know his name! And he was hired to kill me! Why am I running to him like some lovesick girl?_

Squinting through the sunlight, I made my way outside toward the school gates where I'd seen him. I skidded to a halt by the tennis court and braced my hands on my knees, panting slightly. Where had he gone? I was sure I had seen him, and he wouldn't come all this way just to disappear like that.

_Unless he was spying on me._

I shook my head. I couldn't - wouldn't - believe that he was my enemy. But then . . . where did he go?

A hand grabbed my arm, and I jumped, yelping. Laughter rang through the air, deep and rich, and I spun to glare at the man who'd caught me in the forest. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" I said. "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Officially? Yes," he chuckled. I stepped back, jerking my arm from his grip, and couldn't keep my surge of fear from my face. His eyes softened as they met mine, and he stepped closer. "Unofficially, though?" He offered me a smile instead of words, spreading his hands as if to show their lack of weaponry.

I shivered, unnerved by his eyes. There was something dark in them, some mystery even he had yet to solve. Yet they held a warmth, a security, that drew me to him despite his allegiance to my grandfather. What scared me the most was that I knew I wouldn't try to resist them, should that gold try to take me. I _couldn't. _"Why are you here?" I murmured, turning away from him in an attempt to shake the heady feeling from my mind.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right," he said softly.

"Liar," I replied. "You work for my family. You're supposed to kill me."

The air filled with his musky scent as he stepped closer to me. "Officially. I'm here unofficially."

I spun to glance warily at him; it was then that I realized he wasn't wearing the Chou colors, but a plain blue shirt and khakis. "Won't you get in trouble?" I asked.

"Only if they find out," he replied, turning to face the sun. He closed his eyes as it played over his features, shining over his long hair. "I just wanted to know that you were all right." He glanced over at me. "Your sister is well, also. She's still recovering, but she'll be fine in a few days."

"You've seen her?" I breathed. _Kourin . . ._

He nodded, turning away from me again, this time almost guiltily. "They've told her you're dead."

I blinked. _"What?"_

He turned to face me again, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face with his fingertips. I blinked at the almost-caress, yet couldn't tear my gaze from his eyes. "They told her you killed those people in cold blood, that when you awakened, you were consumed by your powers and went insane, and that you tried to kill her, too."

Anger broke the spell his gaze cast over me, and I shook my head, my hands clenched at my sides "I would never hurt Kourin!" I cried. Sharp pain shot up my arm, and I opened my hands to reveal half-circles of blood along my palm. My voice caught in my throat, but I forced it through. "She knows that." I shook my head again. "She'd never believe that!"

"She doesn't know what to believe," he said, honey brown eyes dark with a frown as he took first one hand then the other in his own, wiping the blood away. "One of the Byakko warriors, Tatara, is with her constantly, surrounding her with the lies the Chou have created."

I paused, searching his unreadable eyes. "Why are you telling me this?" I whispered.

He gazed steadily back at me, and it was a long time before he spoke, still holding my hands in his own. A flash of crimson glinted in the gold of his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly, swept away by the wind that sent his long brown hair curling about his shoulders. We stood frozen like that for what seemed like hours, his mouth curved in a slight smile as I stood trembling before him. I couldn't fight it now; I was trapped, bound by the softness of his gaze and the rush of heat that spread through me like a river. What am I doing? I thought, though only half-heartedly. Right now, nothing mattered save for his hands around mine, the closeness of his body, the warmth of his gaze.

He moved first, leaning down slowly, achingly slow, until his lips brushed mine, and I shivered. His kiss was as warm as his eyes, and feather-soft.

It was broken all too soon, and I sighed as I was left with only air again. He leaned back enough that he could meet my gaze, and a sadness darkened his eyes. "If you weren't a Suzaku seishi . . ."

". . . What?" I demanded. "If I wasn't a Suzaku seishi, then what?"

He smiled sadly, releasing my hands, and turned to leave.

"If I wasn't - if I don't become a seishi, then what? We wouldn't be enemies? I could see you?" His step faltered for a moment, then resumed as he continued walking away from me. "Wait!" I cried, running after him. "I don't even know your name."

Stopping by the school gate, he glanced back over his shoulder. "Saihitei."

"Saihitei," I murmured. Quickly, I unclasped the chain I wore around my neck, cradling it in my hand. Kourin had given it to me a few years ago as a birthday present; it was half a heart, with the word "love" inscribed on it. She had the other half, the half with "forever." She'd laughed when she'd given it to me, saying that it was meant for lovers. But then she'd smiled, saying we were closer than lovers - we were twins. I ran my finger over it once, hearing her laughter in my mind, before holding it out to him. "Give this to her," I said, swallowing the knot of emotion in my throat. "She'll know who it's from. So she'll know I'm okay."

He held out his hand, and I dropped the necklace into it. "Speaking with her alone will be difficult, since Tatara is always with her." He smiled reassuringly as his hand closed around the charm. "I'll get it to her."

"Thank you," I whispered.

I stood at the gate and watched him until he disappeared around a corner, then stood there for a long time afterward. A strange feeling swelled in my chest, a burning that was both painful and pleasant at the same time. It was almost the same fiery crimson of Suzaku's voice, yet softer somehow, and achingly familiar, like the memory of a dream I'd never had. I didn't understand it, but I knew I didn't have to; just knowing it was there, and that he'd return, everything seemed a little easier. _Even if he'll only come back to kill me. _Suddenly, I didn't mind him being my enemy, as long as it meant that I could see him again.

Lost in a maze of thoughts, I didn't hear Miaka approach until she laid her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you okay? You didn't come back to class."

"I'm fine." Shaking my head, I turned to face her with a smile. "Really," I laughed. "First day jitters and all. Sorry I worried you."

Miaka frowned, sticking her lip out in a pout. "Okata-sensei said if I missed class again I'd have to stay through lunch! And we're late to his class!"

I blinked. "Did first period end already?"

"Yes!" Miaka gave me a suspicious glance and peered around the corner. "What were you doing out here?"

"I just . . . needed some fresh air," I muttered. Smiling, I waved away her accusing glare. "It was nothing! Honestly!" I hooked my arm through hers and led her back toward the school. "Come on, I'll stay with you if you're in trouble."

"It's your fault anyway, you know!" she pouted.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I'll make it up to you. How about ice cream on the way home?"

Her face lit up in a grin, one she couldn't hide despite her efforts to look angry. "Fine, but I'm still mad at you."

I smiled and pushed the door open, ducking into the dim light of the school. My lips were still warm from Saihitei's kiss, my body still tingling with his touch. _"If you weren't a Suzaku shichiseishi…" _Touching my lips, I swore I'd see him again - and that I'd fight my fate with everything I had.

-x-

A/N: Thanks for keeping with me! Especially Nagem and FlonTed!

Please Please _Please_ review!


	7. Oracle

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Seven: Oracle**

My semblance of normalcy lasted only three days, before I was thrust into the world of legends and warriors and beast gods again.

It seemed that there was also a goddess written into this story, an oracle who followed no law but her own and owed allegiance to none of the four gods. Her realm was hidden where the corners of the four kingdoms met; visible only to those she chose to see it, she held all the knowledge of the universe in her mountain palace.

The portal to her home was rumored to be the Takamatsu-Zuka Old Mound, a rough cave carved into the side of a hill in Nara. This is where we ended up, three days after I transferred to Miaka's school.

"The smartest woman in the universe lives in a cave?" Miaka asked, toeing a rock near her shoe. "If she's really that smart, shouldn't she know about condos, or houses, or temples . . . ?"

"This isn't her home, genius," Taka replied, rolling his eyes. "This is where her world is supposed to connect to ours. So if we want to ask her about the remaining five warriors, this is the best place to try to contact her."

"Ooh," Miaka breathed exaggeratedly.

I stepped between them, cutting Miaka's next retort short. "What are these?" I asked, running my fingers along the drawings along the cave walls.

"Frescoes," Taka replied. "_The Universe of the Four Gods _was originally set down on these walls using pictures. See? There are the four gods." Taka pointed to four faded shapes on the wall above us. "Byakko is the tiger, Genbu the turtle and snake, Seiryu the dragon, and Suzaku the phoenix."

My gaze followed his pointing finger, getting caught on the dark crimson lines of Suzaku.

_"Nuriko . . ."_

My name echoed almost deafeningly through the cave, though only I could hear it. It thrummed through my head, echoing through my thoughts until it turned the whole world red, and I was alone with my name.

_Suzaku . . ._

_"Nuriko." _The voice breathed my name, loving, almost relieved._ "You've come at last. I've waited for you._"

_For me? I'm not . . ._

_"You are one of my celestial warriors. I know the hardship you've suffered, but you cannot turn your back on your destiny. I need you."_

_No, I can't. If I become a celestial warrior -_

_"If you don't, my brother Byakko will come to rule the world, and you will be killed - all of you. And your sister will be a prisoner of her fate, tied to a god who is more a beast and a family who sees her only as their path to power."_

Warm brown eyes gazed at me through the endless crimson, and I shook my head. _I can't. I promised . . ._

_"Nuriko."_

My name reverberated through me, shaking my heart until I thought it would shatter to pieces. I dropped to my knees at that voice, at its power and beauty, and then I knew I could never fight it. I didn't want to, and some part of me never had. The beast god's love washed over me in a wave of warmth, and I closed my eyes against the tears I couldn't hold back. _What about him?_

_"You cannot change your fate, my Nuriko, nor his. Only time can tell you what will come, and if your paths are meant to intertwine. But remember,_ _you are never alone. I will always love you, no matter what."_

The red faded with his voice, leaving me with only the ancient lines of the frescoes and the sound of Miaka's voice in my ear.

"Ryuen, are you ok? Say something! Ryuen!"

Blinking through the hot tears lingering in my eyes, I sighed out the last remnants of Suzaku's presence and smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm fine Miaka. I just . . . I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

"Glad to see you found your way back," Taka laughed, then turned toward the back of the cave. "Now come on so we can get out of here. I'm missing a day of classes for this."

"It was your idea to come today, remember?" Miaka said, hurrying to catch up with him.

"It would have been too crowded on a weekend," he replied. It was true; other than us, there was a small junior high class here, their teacher recounting what seemed to be every legend ever told about the cave near its mouth. We were alone near the back of the cave.

I trailed after the playfully arguing couple, running my gaze over the story painted onto the stone around me. There were other characters present: emperors and high born ladies, peasants, monks, thieves, demons, sorceresses, assassins . . . all tangled into the same story I was living. I walked through its pages, following the girl who wrote our chapter of the legend until we reached the goddess who knew all the universe had to know.

I joined Miaka and Taka in front of a life-size fresco of a beautiful women wrapped in all the colors of the universe.

"Taiitsukun," Taka murmured, and suddenly she came alive.

The rainbow surrounding her flared out until we got lost in it, drifting through a myriad of colors, each breath adding another to the thousands already surrounding us. Brilliance flared around me, and I shut my eyes against it, yet could not block out the dazzling colors. One by one they began to separate, each one forming a distinct line, and all of them together creating the outline of a palace. The colors finally settled into the world, and we were left standing at the door of an immense palace balanced precariously atop a mountain - the home of the oracle.

Taka cautiously pushed one of the enormous doors open, and we stepped inside. An empty room was all that was there to greet us, its crystal walls glittering in the sunlight streaming through the windows. There were no doors, no openings, save for the one that groaned shut behind us.

"Priestess of Suzaku."

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, flooding the silent, empty chamber with sound. The walls tinkled as if in reply, reflecting all the colors of the oracle's voice. Rainbows danced along the walls around us, and Miaka stepped closer to Taka.

"Tamahome."

Taka looked up at that, his arm tightening around Miaka. _His name? _I guessed. _Suzaku's name for him?_

The crystals laughed again, their colors shimmering excitedly. "You're next," they seemed to say, and I shuddered.

"Nuriko."

I took a step back; hearing that name twice in one day was unsettling, and though this voice wasn't nearly as powerful as Suzaku's, it had its own beauty, enough to send a shiver of fear through me.

"You are servants of Suzaku."

We exchanged startled glances; it was Miaka who had the courage to answer. "Yes," she shouted over the laughter of the crystal walls. "We wanted to know if you could help us. We need to find-"

"No," the voice interjected sharply. "You wanted to know if I_ would_ help you."

Miaka glanced nervously at us. "Um, yeah, that too."

There was silence for a long while; the walls had ceased their laughter, and the oracle had fallen silent.

Taka stepped forward. "So will you?"

"Yes, I will." We all turned at the voice, which suddenly materialized behind us. An old woman stood between us and the door, wrinkled and bent with age, a dozen pale-haired children giggling lightly around her. They had the fay voices of the walls and were clothed in rainbows; they danced childishly in place as if they couldn't keep their colors still.

The old woman moved out from the circle of giggling girls, and I realized she was hovering a few inches above the floor. "I am Taiitsukun. You want me to tell you where the other five Suzaku warriors are."

"Please?" Miaka said, folding her hands in front of her. "We really need to-"

"I told you I would help you. You don't need to beg anymore."

Miaka let her hands drop, pouting. "Oh. You don't have to be so mean about it."

"Miaka!" Taka growled. "Do you want her to help us?"

"Miaka." Both fell silent as the oracle spoke her name. "As the priestess of Suzaku, you have a great duty, one I'm not convinced you can handle." She held up her hand when Miaka protested loudly. "You are responsible for the lives of your seven warriors. Suzaku is counting on you to keep them safe. As are they.

"For two priestesses to appear at once, there must be turmoil in Heaven. Which makes your duty twice as difficult. You must not only gather your seven warriors, but also be wary of your rival priestess, who will try to thwart you in order to summon her god Byakko. If she succeeds, Byakko will rule the world, and you and your warriors will no doubt be killed by her followers. Byakko is an animal god, not wholly evil yet governed by animal instincts, and there are those who would take advantage of those instincts to ensure that his reign is not peaceful. It is your duty to stop him."

I stepped forward angrily. "But Kourin would never-"

"Nuriko."

She stopped my protest with my name, her coal black eyes burning into my soul to see all the pain and despair that lay there behind my smiling mask. "Nuriko. You have had a hard road, but it will only get harder, so I suggest you stop complaining and learn to live with what fate hands you. The secret of life is that life isn't fair, and it is never going to be fair. You cannot change the past - or your destiny. Suzaku has given you strength, and if you intend to protect anyone, you need to accept that gift and learn to use it. What is done is done, what is to come will come, whether you are prepared for it or not."

I nodded meekly, trying and failing to hold onto her words, Suzaku's, and Saihitei's. They all pointed toward different paths, and it was up to me to choose one. But which was more important to me? Protecting Kourin and Miaka? Following the god who cared so much for me? Or Saihitei, who I barely knew but seemed so familiar, like a part of me I'd lost so long ago? How could I possibly choose?

The oracle's voice interrupted my thoughts; she'd turned her attention to Taka.

"Tamahome. Your duty is to protect the priestess, one I know you'll take very seriously. Yet you know the consequences of falling in love with your priestess. It is a love that the very universe is against, as she is not yours to claim. She belongs to Suzaku, and though she may give you her heart, it is he who ultimately owns it. Though the beast god is a loving and generous god, he will not be so willing to relinquish his priestess. You have a difficult road ahead of you, and only fate knows whether it will end at her or not."

"I understand," Taka said, wrapping his hand around Miaka's defiantly.

_So can we love at all? _I thought as Miaka's small hands covered Taka's. _Or is love forbidden in this story?_

The oracle stood staring at Taka for a moment as if she were measuring his words against his soul. Whatever she saw must have been satisfactory, for she nodded. "Good." The oracle turned back to the mess of wriggling girls and clapped her hands. "Lai-lai!" All of the children stopped suddenly, then disappeared until only one was left. "Go fetch Chichiri." With a nod and a bell-like laugh, the last girl disappeared as well.

Taiitsukun turned back to us, her clothes rustling in the sudden silence. "My pupil is one of the five you are searching for." A straw hat appeared at her side, and a young man slowly climbed out of it. Miaka and I exchanged a bewildered glance. "This is Chichiri."

He bowed to us, the beads around his neck clinking in time with his monk's staff. "Hello, no da."

We stared for a long moment before Miaka clapped her hands and jumped excitedly. "Yes! We have three now!" Grinning at us, she bounced over to the monk and held out her hand. "Hi, Chichiri! I'm Miaka. That's Taka and Ryuen. Welcome aboard!"

The small smile that never left the monk's face widened, and he blinked his tiny, beady eyes. "I'm glad to finally meet you, priestess. I've been waiting here a long time, no da." He turned back to Taiitsukun and bowed. "Sensei, thank you for your teachings, no da."

The oracle nodded, her silver hair catching the glittering of the crystal walls. "You're welcome, Chichiri. Now be on your way, all of you. You may have found your third warrior, but the Chou have already found their fourth. So you are still one behind them." With that she turned and began to disappear.

"Wait!" Miaka cried.

Her form, only half visible, turned slightly to glare back at us. "What?"

Twining her fingers together behind her back, Miaka took a step toward the oracle. "Could you tell us where the fourth warrior is? Just a little hint? Please?"

The oracle didn't move for a long moment, and I held my breath, waiting. She seemed the only one unaffected by Miaka's charms. Finally she turned around, though her body had begun to disappear again. "The fourth is waiting just outside my door. But beware his fangs." Her form disappeared altogether, and a light, musical laugh rang through the chamber. The walls took up their chorus of tinkling chatter, rainbows rippling through them once again.

Chichiri motioned toward the door. "Shall we, no da?"

We followed him across the vast chamber in silence, Taka looking troubled and Miaka distracted by the laughing of the crystals. When we reached the door, Miaka peeked out, peering around before stepping outside. "I think she meant that metaphorically," Taka said, rolling his eyes.

I laughed, and Miaka grinned at me. "Just making sure," she said.

The monk - Chichiri - was unreadable, his thoughts hidden behind that ever-present smile. Although he was a fellow Suzaku warrior, I couldn't bring myself to trust the man, for I knew nothing about him, not even his true expressions. _But then, I trust Saihitei, and he's my enemy . . _. I shook my head, a small smile creeping onto my face at the thought of that kiss, just as we stepped through the air and into the vortex again.

An infinity of color blazed around us, so bright I had to close my eyes, and even then it burned into my mind. Before I could cry out the brilliance disappeared, and we were back in the cave.

Miaka groaned, stumbling against Taka. He caught her as she began to fall and nearly collapsed to the ground himself. My legs quivered with my own dizziness, and I braced myself against the cave wall.

"The trip to Taiitsukun's domain can be exhausting, no da," Chichiri said. Unlike the rest of us, he seemed completely unfazed.

"Yeah, thanks for warning us," Taka grumbled. "Miaka, you ok?"

"Mm hmm," she murmured, her face pressed against his chest. "You smell good."

Taka smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thanks. Now come on, let's go find the next seishi."

"Oh. Ok," she replied, slowly unwrapping her arms from around Taka's waist. We started toward the front of the cave, Chichiri in the lead, and I saw them sneak a kiss from the corner of my eye before they hurried to catch up to us. A pang of jealousy ran through me as I thought of my own forbidden romance.

"The oracle said he was waiting just outside her door," Taka said as we ducked through the small opening of the cave and back into the suddenly harsh sunlight. "Does she mean the cave?"

"Probably," Chichiri replied, looking around. "But I don't see anyone with fangs, no da."

"Maybe she meant that metaphorically, too," I said, smirking at Taka, who promptly ignored me. Miaka and I shared a smile before hurrying to catch up with the other two.

We stood looking around for a moment, uncertain what to do. The small group of students had already left; the area was completely deserted save for us.

"Maybe it's an animal," Miaka said, turning toward the forest behind the cave. "People don't have fangs, right? Maybe we have a bear on our team." She pouted as Taka and I laughed, crossing her arms. "Well have you ever met anyone with fangs before?"

Suppressing another wave of laughter, I shook my head and opened my mouth to reply only to have a hand slapped over it as another grabbed my wrists and forced them behind my back. Hot breath blew down my neck as a voice whispered in my ear. "Move, and I'll break them."

Another man darted from the shadows to bind Miaka, then smirked as she yelped. His eyes burned a cold black, and he grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "Are these the fangs you were looking for?"

-x-


	8. Spy

A/N: Hits on the last chapter 32. Reviews 1. Big difference there, huh? Thank you, **Shinyaa,** for reviewing. This chapter's for you.

And no, I won't go on another tirade about reviewing, but I was really tempted to abandon this story again for lack of reviews. You people really want to see the ending? Then review!

(Sorry, I had to leave that note in there when I revised this because I HATE it when people don't review... This story has 2429 hits, yet only 70 reviews. I won't go into another rant - which I did quite often when I first started writing this story - but seriously, people, if you want to see this story updated, you need to let me know that I have a reason to update it.)

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play**

**Chapter Eight: Spy**

"So you failed to kill him?"

I nodded, keeping my eyes focused somewhere above the eldest Chou's head. Which meant looking straight ahead, as he was considerably shorter than I. "Yes, I'm sorry. But Ryuen had found his miko and another seishi; together they would have proved too powerful for me, so I didn't risk it. I thought you would rather I bring you this news than die with it."

A heavy silence hung between us for a long while, and I finally looked down to meet his coal black eyes.

"Saihitei." I waited for him to continue. "I cannot waste any more resources on Ryuen. He is a threat to us, but we must concentrate on finding the remaining seishi. If you cannot eliminate him on your own, then do not attempt it. But continue to follow him and report his movements back to me. If you find an opportunity arises, eliminate him. Do not allow yourself to be discovered by the other seishi."

I nodded impassively, but could not stop myself from thinking, _This is your grandson. If _I_ were to displease you, would you even think twice about having me eliminated?_ I wasn't afraid of Osamu Chou's anger; his temper was great, but my life belonged to him, and he could do with it as he wanted. Such was the price of the shelter he offered me.

My orders completed, I turned to leave. His voice stopped me halfway to the door. "Saihitei. Ryuen must be eliminated before they find their seven seishi. We cannot allow them to succeed. Which means we cannot allow any more failures."

Without turning, I nodded my head once. "I understand." _No, I don't think you'd think twice about killing me. I don't think you would think about it at all_.

The door slid quietly shut behind me, and I paused in the hallway, letting my eyes fall shut. A pair of startled, rose-violet eyes stared back at me from my memory. Something had sparked behind those eyes as they'd met mine, a spark that had elicited an answer somewhere within me. And now . . . Now, I had to follow those eyes, and kill them.

I was indebted to Osamu Chou, but that was the one thing I could not do for him. Those eyes would haunt me forever, reminding me of what I'd done . . . and of how empty I'd be. That kiss . . .

_What is wrong with me? I feel like… I feel like I know him from somewhere, like he was once important to me. But how could I have known him before?_

Those eyes answered me with a smile.

_Ryuen . . ._

Voices sounded in the hall behind me, and I looked up quickly to meet the gaze of the two Byakko shichiseishi, Tokaki and Subaru.

"Look, it's gramps' pretty boy," Tokaki said with a smirk. His wife jabbed her elbow into his side, but her stern expression couldn't quite hide the grin tugging at her lips. I stood in silence until they passed, listening as they snickered over something he grumbled under his breath. I'd become used to the comments - those murmured between the hired assassins were often much more lewd. It had become common knowledge that I'd grown up here in the temple, and there were several theories about why Osamu had taken me in. I ignored most of them, smiled at the creativity of others. The others' opinions didn't matter to me, and I had more important things to occupy my time.

Like those eyes.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the locket Ryuen had given me. I'd promised to give it to his sister, but I wasn't certain that was possible. The priestess of Byakko was locked away in a separate wing of the temple, with her rooms secluded and inaccessible to everyone but Osamu and the Byakko seishi Tatara who watched over her. I made my way up there anyway; it couldn't hurt to try.

Three guards stopped me at the top of the stairs, giving me a quick glance and telling me to turn around, that I had no business here.

"Osamu has sent me to find the boy," I said coolly. "I need to speak with the priestess about where he might go." They didn't need to know that I already knew Ryuen's whereabouts, that I shadowed him even more closely than my duty required.

One of the guards slid his hand down toward his gun, ran his finger over the trigger. "I already told you, no one but Osamu is allowed to enter. Now go away."

A door opened down the hall, and all three turned toward it. The Byakko seishi stepped out, taking in the four of us in a single glance. "What is going on out here?" he asked, his lilting voice soft, yet demanding.

The same guard pointed over his shoulder at me. "This one wants to talk to the priestess. Something about finding her brother."

Tatara's dark eyes slid to me, ignoring the grumbling of the guards. He seemed to be testing me, analyzing me with those wide, unreadable eyes. He must have found something he approved of, for he motioned for the guards to move aside. "Let him pass. I'll be with them; no harm will befall the priestess."

I followed the long-haired seishi through the hallway and into the priestess' rooms. His hand fell gently on my arm as the door fell shut behind us. "Osamu has told her the boy is dead." His dark eyes glittered with some emotion I couldn't name, something akin to sadness. Turning toward the inner rooms, his voice lowered. "Whether she believes him or not . . . is another matter." He led me to a small sitting area where a young woman sat, her back toward us. She turned as we entered, and I felt that white hot spark as I met her eyes. _Ryuen . . ._

_No. His sister. His twin._

_Their eyes are exactly the same, though . . ._

"Hello, Kourin," I murmured.

She stared at me for a moment, her eyes darting between me and Tatara. The Byakko seishi finally slid into one of the chairs next to her, motioning for me to do the same. "This is Saihitei," he said, his lilting voice tumbling over my name like water over rocks. I didn't question how he knew it; he probably knew everyone who'd set foot in this temple since the arrival of the priestess.

I nodded, offering her a small smile. "I need to ask you about your brother," I said quietly. Seeing the wariness that jumped into her rose eyes, I reached into my pocket for the charm. "But first . . ." Glancing over at the now silent seishi, I dropped it into her hand. "I thought this might be yours. I found it on the temple grounds."

She started at it a moment, her mouth working against words she didn't want to say, or couldn't. "This is . . ." Startled eyes glanced sharply up at me again, wariness replaced by confusion and disbelief. I smiled. "Yes, this is mine," she whispered, closing her fingers over it protectively. Her voice was softer than his, quieter, but close enough to send a shiver of familiarity through me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied as I leaned back in my chair. _She looks so much like him . . . _"In return, I'd like to know about your brother." The wariness returned to her gaze, but then she glanced down at her closed hand. Her eyes softened again. "The Suzaku no miko is here somewhere, and I think he may have known her, if not what she was. Did he ever have any friends who mentioned a priestess, or the legend? Who was searching for someone?"

The young woman shook her head. "Not that I know of. I'd never heard of it until-" she swallowed against the emotion blocking her words and filling her eyes. "Until our birthday. I don't think Ryu had heard of it, either." Her hand tightened around the necklace.

"Did he ever visit a temple, other than this one?"

She shook her head. "No. And we've only been here once before, when we were very young."

I leaned forward, playing out my part. "Do you remember anyone, any place that may have been connected to the legend? Even remotely?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head again, her long violet hair flying around her face. "No. Nothing!"

Tatara rose. "I think that's enough. You've had a long day, my lady. You should get some rest." His hand lingered under her elbow as she stood, brushing her arm with his fingertips. For a moment, his unreadable eyes softened as they met hers, and the ghost of a smile flitted across his face.

_At least I can assure Ryuen that she's safe with him, even if he is little more than her prison guard._

"Thank you, priestess," I said. "Rest well." Her voice stopped me as I turned to leave.

"Saihitei." She smiled, the first real smile I'd seen cross her face. "Thank you. For returning my necklace."

I nodded. "My pleasure."

I made my way back down the hallway and through the now dark temple in silence, then out into the night. Precious little time stood between me and the summoning of Byakko, and I had to resolve this feeling before then. There was something drawing me to him, to those rose-violet eyes, and the brilliant crimson that glowed over his heart. I owed Osamu Chou my life, but my heart was mine to do with as I pleased. I wasn't ready to give it away yet; it was the only thing I could truly call my own. But now, it was preoccupied with one word: _Ryuen. _His name was a beacon for the Chou family to follow, a death sentence for him. For me, it was the only thing solid in this ethereal world of death and legends and gods. Yet the closer we came to its ending, the closer we came to his death.

I murmured his name into the slight breeze that flew through the night, hoping, perhaps, it would reach him and draw an answer from him, a memory. Anything to explain this burning I felt, this fire in my chest that seemed to know him and long for him.

Rubbing away the ache in my neck, I headed out of the temple toward my apartment, though I knew my mind was too full of him to sleep.

-x-


	9. Fire Bandit

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter Nine: Fire Bandit**

"Let them go!" Taka growled, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Now."

The man holding Miaka laughed as he pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. "I'd stand still there, loverboy, unless you want yer little girlfriend back with a knife stickin' outta her throat. It'd be pretty fuckin' hard to kiss her then, huh?" His black eyes glittered.

"You can't do this!" Miaka said. "You can't be a - a bandit! You're a Suzaku shichiseishi - the oracle told us so!"

The man rolled his eyes. "What the hell are ya talkin' about? Dammit Kouji, we picked a buncha crazies to rob." The man holding me snickered, twisting my arms again.

"It's true!" Miaka shouted, craning her neck to look at the bandit holding her, ignorant of the blade dangerously close to her neck. "I'm the priestess of Suzaku, and you're one of my seishi! Taiitsukun told us so!"

The bandit barked a laugh. "Me? A celestial warrior? Not in a million years, girlie. Now shut yer trap." He pressed the knife to her throat, and she gasped as a drop of blood spilled down her throat.

"Miaka!" Taka and I cried together. I struggled against the man holding me, but he held me back easily, twisting my arm sharply to bring me to my knees with a cry of pain. For a moment I almost unleashed my power, my seishi strength, but two honey brown eyes stared back at me from my memory, and I stopped. "Miaka!" I cried helplessly.

It was then that I realized Chichiri had disappeared.

I looked around, searching for the odd monk; anger rushed through me when I couldn't find him. Something had told me not to trust him, that he hid too much behind his smile, but I'd pushed my reservations aside because he was a Suzaku shichiseishi. I'd chosen to trust Suzaku over myself. _You made a mistake, _I said accusingly, _and now we're trapped._

The man behind me shifted, jerking on my arms. "What're we gonna do with them, Genrou? They ain't gonna get much of a price - this one's prettier 'an the girl!"

"Hey!" Miaka protested, only to have the red-haired man - Genrou - growl and wave the knife in front of her.

"Ya want this back in yer neck?" he asked. Miaka shook her head. "Then shut up." He turned back to his cohort, eyeing me in the process. "They'll at least get us enough to eat for a few weeks. Plus whatever they have on them."

Taka watched all this in silence, then darted forward as the man reached into Miaka's pocket. Crimson exploded from his forehead, and he became a blur of motion, a streak of human and red aimed directly at the man holding his lover. I didn't get to see the impact, however, for the man holding me stumbled forward with a sharp cry of pain, then spun to face whatever had hit him, dragging me with him.

Chichiri stood there impassively, his smile unwavering, his monk's staff held diagonally in front of him and glowing faintly.

"Dammit!" the bandit shouted from behind me.

Chichiri's staff flared, and the hands holding my arms fell away suddenly as if my arms had become twin streams of fire. Gasping in pain, he backed away. "Just burn 'em, Genrou!" he growled. "Startin' with this one!"

I turned to see the red-haired man furiously defending himself against Taka's crimson-fueled blows, each block costing him a step backward, toward the cave. Realizing how close he was to being trapped in there, he growled and reached behind his back, pulling out an oversized metal fan. "Nah, this one's more of a pain in the ass!" he called back. He pointed the fan at Taka, who was too startled to respond. "Rekka shinen!"

Fire streamed from the metal fan, and Miaka screamed.

It never reached Taka, however. Blinding light flared between Taka and the bandit Genrou, sending the fire streaking off into the sky. The light dimmed slowly, and I realized that Chichiri's staff was glowing again. He'd set up a barrier in front of Taka, saving him from the deadly flames racing toward him.

Growling in agitation, Genrou aimed the fan toward us, ignoring the startled cries of his fellow bandit. "Rekka shinen!"

The brilliant light reappeared, flaring as the bandit's fire crashed against Chichiri's barrier. I cried out, throwing my arms over my eyes to shielf them from the glaring light. The bandit's voice rang out over the crackling of the barrier, screaming "Rekka shinen" over and over. Tendrils of flame began to break through the barrier; Chichiri faltered, a shudder passing through his lean frame. Even his power couldn't hold against multiple strikes from the bandit's fan, and the barrier he'd erected began to flicker.

I heard a shout from Taka and an answering, surprised cry from Genrou, then a thud; Taka had tackled the bandit to the ground. But not before several threads of flame burst through the barrier, striking all three of us.

Stunned, I lay on the ground for a moment before the searing pain in my arm threw my mind back into reality. The barrier had come down completely, but no more fire tore through the air toward us; Taka held the fan carefully as Miaka clung to him, looking as if it might come alive and burn him. The bandit Genrou sat on the ground, rubbing his head and sulking. I stood up shakily.

"Ryuen!" Miaka cried as she rushed over to me. "Are you ok?"

I nodded, cradling my injured arm. "It's not that bad." I turned toward Chichiri, who knelt on the ground next to the unconscious bandit who'd been trapped behind the fire with us. "Chichiri?" I said quietly.

"I'm fine, no da," he replied. "This one will be, too. He wasn't hurt very badly, only stunned, no da. He hit his head as he fell." The monk stood, and I saw the faint red glow from his knee where his pants had been singed. At the sight of his glowing symbol, proof that he was indeed a Suzaku shichiseishi, guilt rose in me for not having trusted him. Who was I to doubt Suzaku's choice? The man had saved my life, and Miaka's.

Miaka gasped. "Chichiri, your eye!" I looked up quickly, expecting to see a burn from the flames, but instead met a single, golden eye; the other was gone, hidden behind a long, jagged scar that ran across his face. A single thought floated on the edge of my surprise.

_It really was a mask._

The monk smiled, a real, sad smile, heavy with the past and regrets. "Now you see why I wear the mask," he said softly. "People like it better than having to face this, no da."

"You don't have to hide from us," Miaka said after a moment, laying her hand on his shoulder. "We're like a family now." She glanced over at the bandit Taka had pinned at his feet. "A family that will _hopefully _be getting bigger!"

Something moved out of the corner of my eye; I turned to see the bandit Genrou twist out of Taka's grip and dive for the fan in his hand. "Taka!" I cried in warning. Moving aside just in time, he spun to land a glowing crimson blow in the bandit's stomach, sending him to his knees.

"Dammit!" Genrou gasped, clutching his stomach. "Just gimme the fuckin' tessen back! I swear I'll let ya go . . ."

"No! You can't!" Miaka said, suddenly remembering the other man. "You're one of the seishi I've been searching for!"

"I told you I ain't no fuckin' seishi!" the bandit yelled from the ground. "Now let us go!"

"But you have to be," Miaka said. "Taiitsikun said so. Don't you have a symbol somewhere?" She reached for him, grabbing his shirt and tugging at it before he had time to react. His shirt clutched in her hands, Miaka crowed triumphantly and tumbled backwards, landing with a thump on the ground.

The faint outline of a symbol glowed on the bandit's arm.

"See?" Miaka pointed. "You're a seishi!"

"It's a fuckin' scar," Genrou replied, rubbing at it as if to wipe it away. "It ain't no symbol. Now can I have my fuckin' shirt back?"

Offering a hand to help Miaka up, Taka glared at the man. "It looks awfully like a kanji to me. You have a scar in the shape of 'wings'?"

Chichiri stepped forward. "That is the symbol of Tasuki, no da. One of the seven Suzaku shichiseishi. I'm afraid you can't deny it, no da."

"So what if I'm a seishi?" the bandit growled. "I ain't going with you freaks, not after you done fuckin' killed Kouji!"

"He's not dead, no da," Chichiri said. He offered the man his hand. Taking it grudgingly, the monk pulled Genrou to his feet, then smiled. "I'll make sure Kouji is fine – if you come with us."

"Aw, that ain't fair! Using a man's friends against him!"

Miaka opened her mouth to say something, but I put a hand on her arm, silencing her. Chichiri seemed to be doing fine on his own; the monk still smiled, even without his mask. The bandit shuffled, edging away from Chichiri's shadow at his feet, as if afraid the monk kept his magic there. But he did not try to run, nor did his eyes leave the monk's face.

"Fine," the bandit grumbled eventually. "But Kouji had better be ok."

Chichiri smiled again before turning to kneel beside the unconscious bandit. Genrou leaned over the monk's shoulder, unwilling to let Chichiri near his friend without him supervising.

Hands pressed together in front of him, the monk murmured something, then pulled a charm out of his robe. He laid it on Kouji's chest, then stood. Within a few moments the other man opened his eyes, blinking in the sunlight. "Dammit, Genrou, you fuckin' fried me . . ."

A laugh escaped Genrou's lips, nervous, relieved, regretful. "Ah, shut up," he replied. "You'll get over it." He shifted, helped the other bandit to his unsteady feet. "You okay?" The other man nodded unsteadily, but Genrou didn't seem to notice. "Good. We gotta get the fuck outta here, then!"

"Wait!" Miaka cried, waving his shirt like a sword. "You promised you'd stay!"

"An' you dumbasses believed me," the bandit replied, half-dragging the other man out of our small circle. "I ain't goin' nowhere. I got a gang to take care of. They'd be nothin' without their fearless leader!"

Chichiri's staff glowed again, and the bandit froze in mid step, his feet now several inches about the ground. The two bandits clung to each other, crying out in anger and fear to be let down.

"So much for being a fearless leader," I snickered.

"Shut the fuck up!" Genrou cried. "An' put me down, you bastard! I'll fuckin' fry you for this!"

"Not until you agree to come with us," Chichiri said. "You are a Suzaku shichiseishi, no da – it was your fate to meet us today, to help us."

"Fuck that, jus' put me _down!"_ Genrou yelled.

The other man stopped struggling and put his arm on Genrou's. "Maybe you should go wit 'em, Genrou," he said. "I mean, you knew they were gonna come one of these days…"

"Kouji," the other bandit said, his voice heavy with surprise and something else, something more regretful.

Forcing a grin, the blue-haired man shrugged. "I can take over the gang for a while," he assured him. "We'll be ok. I'll kick some asses every now and them, ya know, keep 'em in line. Jus' as long as you ain't gone too long." A flicker of emotion crossed his face, then, darkening his eyes.

Genrou frowned, his eyes following the rough scar that ran from Kouji's hairline to his neck, as if he wanted to trace it with his fingers, but settled for his eyes instead. "Ya sure?" he asked quietly, almost sadly.

"Yeah," Kouji replied, not sounding sure at all.

Seeing the bandit's decision written on both of their faces, Chichiri lowered his staff, and the two men dropped lightly to the ground. Genrou shot a glare at the monk. "It's about fuckin' time."

"So, how long you gonna be gone?" Kouji asked.

"I dunno." Genrou shrugged, glaring at the sky to hide the spark of emotion I saw in his dark eyes. "However long it takes these fuckin' idiots to put together a legend."

Kouji smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Good luck wit' that."

Genrou nodded, gave him one last, mournful glance. "Sorry," was all he left the other man with.

There really is no room for love in this story, I thought.

-x-x-x-

We stayed the night in an inn in Nara, for the next day we planned to return to the oracle's palace to ask for a clue to the next seishi, despite Taka's grumbling about missing more classes. One journey to her realm a day was enough; Chichiri warned us that another trip there and back would exhaust us completely.

And so he led us to a small inn at the edge of the village near the mound, where I found myself alone with him in the room we shared with Genrou.

Rubbing at the bandage over my arm, I glanced across the room at him and was met with the smiling, child-like mask. "Chichiri, how did you get that scar?" I asked impulsively, then blushed. "I'm sorry, it isn't my place to ask."

The monk rose from his place on the edge of the bed, and smiled. Though whether it was real or just a product of the mask, I couldn't tell. "My distrust was stronger than my love, and it cost me my eye, my fiancé, and my best friend, no da." I opened my mouth to pity him, but he shook his head, still hiding behind the mask. "I've come to terms with my mistake, and I've learned from it, no da. Pity and regret cannot change the past."

_"Pity and regret cannot change the past . . ."_

"Want to teach me that lesson?" I muttered, and he laughed.

"It's not something that can be taught, no da," he said. "It's something you have to learn, and often, the learning is not easy."

Shifting, I turned my gaze to the twilight lurking outside the open window. Shadows played over the tiny garden outside our room, flitting through trees and dying light and benches. One detached itself from a tree, took a step toward the window, and opened glowing eyes to stare back at me. I gasped; a flash of brown and gold, and it was gone, melted back into itself.

_It couldn't be, not all the way out here . . ._

"Are you okay?" Chichiri asked quietly.

Shaking myself out of the shadows, I nodded. "Yeah . . . I – I think I need some fresh air, though."

The monk nodded, then returned to his place at the foot of the bed. "Be careful."

But I was already closing the door behind me.

I stopped at the edge of the garden, out of breath, gasping in the chill evening air. My eyes searched the shadows desperately as my breathing slowly returned to normal; but that's all they were, shadows. No golden brown eyes peered back at me through them, no rich brown hair glinted in the light streaming down through the trees. I dropped down onto one of the benches, disappointed.

The night rustled behind me, and I turned, almost shouted his name. But all I saw was the shadow of a shadow as it disappeared around the side of the building. I stumbled after it, heedless of the rocks I tripped over and the branches clawing at my arms. Behind the building, in the dark area where the forest ended and the village began, I was stopped by his eyes.

"Saihitei," I breathed.

He hesitated a moment, his eyes glittering with the words he swallowed, then turned to walk away, leaving me only his shadow.

"Wait!" I cried, moving toward him. My cry stopped him, but didn't turn him around. "Wait. Saihitei." It seemed those were the only words I knew here in the dark; I dredged more up from the tangle around my heart. "Please. Don't go back."

His reply was a long time coming, and when it came, it was little more than a breath of warm air. "I can't."

"Can't what?" I whispered.

He turned finally, his golden eyes shadowed, his face drawn. "Can't betray him. I owe Osamu Chou my life. To disobey him now . . . "

I blinked, squinting at the bruised gray of twilight reflecting in his eyes. "What are you saying?" I closed the distance between us, step by tentative step, terrified each movement would send him back into the shadows. "Saihitei." His name seemed like a spell to me; if I said it enough, he would stay. "My grandfather? He - he sent you to kill me. You're going to now?"

"I should," he murmured, forcing the words past those he held back.

I shook my head. "No. You can't. Not after - not after you kissed me."

"It was a kiss."

Feeling him turn away again, I looked up sharply. "It was a promise." I wrapped my fingers around his arm, tightened them when he didn't pull away. "You said if I wasn't a seishi. I'm not a seishi. I won't become one, if that's what it takes. But I can't –" Memories swirled through me, flooding me with fear and despair and loss. "Don't hate me, too. It seems like you're the only one who doesn't, other than Miaka."

I felt his hand on my arm, then realized he'd turned back to face me. His hand shifted, moved to hover next to my cheek. "I don't hate you," he said quietly. His fingers brushed my lips, feather-light, and then he was gone, and I was left with shadows once more.

-x-

A/N: I know the Tasuki/Chichiri pairing is popular, but I'm not a big fan of it. But if you look _really_ hard, you can see hints of it here and there, but it's not stressed. I think Tasuki will always care most about Kouji, and that's the pairing I tried to emphasize in this chapter. Sorry if that disappointed anyone.


	10. Reunion

A/N: a big thanks to Harada Risa for reviewing all my chapters. This one's for you!

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter Ten: Reunion**

I saw those rose-violet eyes everywhere.

They gazed sadly at me from every doorway, smiled my name within every word I heard. I couldn't escape them, and now, I was searching for their twins.

Kourin had run away, it seemed, searching for her brother who was supposedly dead, but was instead alive, and haunting me. I knew where she'd gone; she'd overheard me talking to Tatara about the Yuki girl and the apartment she shared with her lover and now Ryuen. Neither of us had tried to deny it when she had walked into the room, murmuring his name.

She hadn't gotten far; unease had woken Tatara in the middle of the night, and he'd gone into the priestess' rooms to find them all empty except for the breeze blowing through the open window. The household had been put on alert within the minute, and all the Byakko seishi - five now, though only two other than Tatara were actually at the temple - had gone to search for her in the rain-soaked night. Osamu Chou said Tatara had asked that I join the search, though he never gave a reason why.

I found Kourin walking south toward the city, barefoot and shivering in her thin night clothes. Stopping my car on the side of the road, I watched as she cautiously approached, shivering when her violet eyes found mine.

"You," she breathed. "Saihitei."

"Why did you run away?" I asked, squinting through the darkness for any sign of the two Byakko seishi out searching. "You knew it was just a matter of time before your family found you again."

Bare arms wrapped around herself, she turned away. "I'm going to find Ryuen."

"They told you he's dead."

She shrugged, trying her best to look angry but failing as she shivered. "I don't believe them."

Unlocking the doors, I motioned to the seat beside me. "Well, you're going the wrong way."

Suspicion jumped into her eyes, but then she touched the two necklaces at her throat, and it slowly faded. Silently, she opened the door and dropped into the passenger seat, leaning her head against the window as I drove. Her eyes were closed, hiding those piercing purple roses. Just as well, I thought, else they'd distract me into an accident, and then where would the legend be, missing a priestess?

"Where did you find this necklace?"

I blinked at the sudden end of the silence, tried to stay focused on the empty road. "I told you. On the temple grounds."

"I don't believe you, either," she said, her rose eyes open now, glaring out the window. "He gave it to you, didn't he? Where did you talk to him? Why didn't you kill him? That's what your orders are, aren't they?"

I slowed, stopped at a red light though there was no one else out this late. "One question at a time."

"Why didn't you kill him?" She turned to look at me.

I opened my mouth to answer, then suddenly found that I had none. I fumbled for a reply. "I don't know," was all I could say. That kiss was all I could think about, that moment when we'd stood outside the legend that had us trapped. That kiss held me in place long after the light turned green. "I guess . . ." I dared a glance at Kourin, braving her eyes, almost losing myself in them.

"You guess what?" she repeated quietly.

I turned my attention back to driving, then suddenly recognized the area. Silent, I turned down a side street and pulled to a stop in front of one of the many apartment buildings. "We're here, my lady."

She gazed out the window through the darkness, eyeing the building warily, doubts floating through her eyes like clouds through the sunset sky. Her gaze caught on one of the lighted windows, as if she could sense her twin behind the heavy curtains.

Kourin was still staring at the building when I opened her door, jarring her back to her thoughts. She nodded, smiled as she stepped out, though it didn't reach her eyes. They were still intent on the ghost of her twin, which gazed back at her through the walls. "He really is alive, then," she murmured finally, falling back into the present as we entered the building. I didn't reply.

We waited in silence for the elevator; Yuki's apartment was on the third floor, and judging by Kourin's weary steps, I didn't think she would make it up the stairs. The ride up was equally silent; I was afraid the girl had fallen asleep, but she shivered as the elevator shuddered to a stop. The doors creaked open; the conversation outside was interrupted. I glanced at the two men waiting there, then recognized the Yuki girl's lover. Hot-tempered and powerful, according to Tokaki, he was not one to underestimate. I grabbed Kourin's arm as he met my gaze, pulled her closer to me.

But his gaze slid right over me to Kourin, then to the Chou crest I still wore on my shirt. "Ryuen!" he exclaimed, his fists forming faster than his words. "Let him go!" I ducked, shoving Kourin aside, but the boy was fast, and I felt his crimson-driven punch glance off my jaw.

Wincing, I raised my arm to block his next blow, but Kourin ripped from my grasp and stopped him first with a shout.

"Where is he?" she cried. "Where's my brother?"

The man stopped in mid step, eyes darting from me to confusion to Kourin. The red-haired man with him merely glared at me, his hand on the oversized metal fan strapped to his back. I stepped forward, out of the confines of the elevator, putting Kourin behind me. "I'm glad to see how protective you are of him. But I'm not here for him. I'm a chauffeur tonight, not an assassin." I glanced at Kourin. "This is his sister. She wants to see him."

A door opened down the hall; rose colored eyes peered out. "Taka, what's–" They met their twins, and froze. "Kourin," Ryuen whispered.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, mirror images of one another, emotions roiling in their eyes and the air between them; finally the mirrors broke, and they ran to each other through the shards of tears.

"I thought they'd locked you away," Ryuen whispered.

"They did. I thought you were dead," Kourin murmured into his shoulder.

"I am. To them anyway. To you, too, I thought." He closed his eyes, tightened his arms around her.

"Never," she promised.

Others had joined us in the hall; the Yuki girl stood at her door with tears in her still bleary eyes, a light-haired monk silent and smiling behind her. Cloaked in their inattention, I stepped backward into the elevator and closed the doors, which slid to a shut just as my name slipped from Ryuen's lips. My hand lingered on the button, ready to press it and find those eyes again, that kiss, but the weight of the crest was heavy on my chest, and my hand fell to my side.

I made it to the building's front doors before they found me.

"Wait!"

Already hurting from the Suzaku warrior's blow, I stopped, for I didn't have enough energy to deal with the pain of his pleas, too.

"You're always running away," he said, his voice a mix of sadness and accusation. "What are you running from?"

I turned, giving him his family's crest to look at instead of my back. I spread my arms and shrugged, offering him nothing – and myself – in reply.

He moved closer until there was only a breath of air between us. "Saihitei." A smile entered those eyes, brightened them to the color of dawn. "Thank you for bringing Kourin to me. I owe you so much already . . ."

"I'll be back in the morning for her," I said, turning to leave as he stood frozen behind me.

"Wait!" he cried, grabbing my arm. A shock ran through me at the touch, almost burning, and I closed my eyes. "You can't take her back there, not once she's free. They'll lock her up again!"

I forced my voice to stay even. "She's well cared for, I promise. She'll be safe there."

"No! Saihitei, you can't, not after I've just found her again–"

I whirled to face him. "She'll be safer there than here. Your family knows you're here; why do you think they haven't come after you yet? You're not worth it alone, but if they find your sister is here too–" The hurt in his eyes stopped me, sent my heart falling. "No, I didn't mean it like that," I murmured.

"But it's true," he whispered. "I'm not worth it, to them. Not anymore. Not even to my parents." He threw his gaze to the side to hide his anger, and his pain.

Reaching out, I drew his chin up with my fingers. "You're worth more than they know. To Miaka, to Kourin, to m– " I cut my words off with a breath, though my hand stayed on his face. My throat burned with the words I wanted to say, words stopped by the Chou crest. "You don't want the Chou to come after you here. You're safe now because you're with your fellow seishi, but if they discover that the priestess is here, too, they'll spare no one in their attack. You'll be outnumbered, and overpowered. Kourin is safe at the temple, I promise you." I allowed myself a small touch, my fingers brushing his cheek, before I turned to leave.

Rain greeted me outside, not as heavy as before. I got as far as my car door before my name stopped me again, and a hand on my arm. His eyes were there before I could even draw a breath to speak, and then they were closed, replaced by his kiss. Time slipped away, the rain stopped, even breathing became unimportant. There were no words for this in the legend; we were outside of it now, two people lost in a kiss instead of two characters lost in their tragedy.

Life finally caught back up to us, and we finally broke apart to breathe. Words came back more slowly; all I could do for a moment was stare, lost in the rain in his eyes. Then I remembered how to speak, and forced the words through the memory lingering on my lips. "I'll be back in the morning. Say your goodbyes. You two are rivals now, until this story is finished. You have tonight; tomorrow the next chapter begins."

He nodded, his eyes following me silently as I got in my car and drove back into the night. I drove in a daze for almost an hour, thoughts swirling dizzily around his name, before I remembered I had a purpose out in the rain. What I was going to tell Osamu Chou, I had no idea. My deception hung heavy on my chest as I drove back to the temple, but for once, the weight of the crest was light.

-x-


	11. Cats and Conversations

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter Eleven: Cats and Conversations**

I didn't sleep at all that night, and still morning came all too soon.

Miaka and the others granted us our privacy, returning to their beds soon after Saihitei left. Huddled over cups of hot tea, we sat across from each other at the kitchen table, filling the space between us with everything that had happened since we'd last seen each other. Every now and then one of us would reach out through the words and the fears and grasp the other's hand, reassuring ourselves that this wasn't just some dream, that this was real and we were together again.

Finally the past caught up to the present, and we were left with only the future to talk about.

"I don't want to lose you again," I whispered.

Kourin bridged the space between us and slipped her fingers through mine. "And I don't want to go back. But I have to." She forced a smile. "If I go back, Grandfather won't follow me here, and you will be safe. Then you can stop whatever he's planning, and things can go back to normal."

I shook my head, gazing out the window to the darkness. Lightning flashed, driving my gaze back inside. "Nothing will be normal again," I said quietly. Saihitei's name breathed through my thoughts. "Not for any of us." The same disquiet and longing shadowed Kourin's eyes, and I wondered who wandered through her mind. Shaking my head again, I breathed a chuckle, bitter and humorless, and closed my eyes. "I think I've forgotten how to be normal, anyway. I don't think I'd know how to live in a world where the seasons change, not the pages."

Kourin's hand tightened around mine, then slid away. "What is this legend, anyway? I'm playing one of its leading roles, and I don't even know the story." Thunder sounded outside, seemed to echo through me. Through Kourin, too; she shuddered and glanced darkly toward the window behind her. "You go out and live your life - your character's life - but I'm kept secluded, hidden away in the temple. What kind of play have we been dragged into?"

I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it against the word I was going to say. Dozens of words ran through my head - unfair, tragic, mysterious - but none seemed to fit. Our story was larger than them, than all of them. One word couldn't describe it; every word could. It was tragic and joyful at the same time, awful and wondrous, mystical and simple. It was then that I realized this legend was whatever I wanted to make of it, whatever word I chose to mold it around – for now, anyway, until the plot fell into the hands of the warriors again.

"It's a love story," I began with a small smile. "Several, in fact. Between seishi, between the miko and her seishi, between a god and his seishi and his miko."

Kourin's eyes stared back at me through Saihitei's image, searching mine for something I wasn't sure she was going to find. She finally laughed, leaning back in her chair and shaking her head. "You can read all that in the four kanji on that scroll? I'm not sure whether to be reassured or worried about your sanity." She sobered, then lowered her eyes to stare at our hands on the table before us. "I wish it were a love story," she murmured sadly, "but there's no place for love in this story. It's forbidden - that's what Grandpa said. We don't own ourselves, anymore; we answer to our gods."

I thought of Miaka and Taka then, of Saihitei, of the unnamed face that hung in the back of Kourin's mind. "We'll make a place," I said firmly, quietly so not even the gods could hear us. "I want to be able to claim something from this experience, other than tragedy."

Rose colored eyes met mine slowly, so similar to mine that for a moment I thought I was looking in a mirror. Then I realized the same emotion that tightened my chest glowed in those eyes: hope.

"Saihitei."

I blinked, trying to figure out whether I had spoken his name or Kourin. She smiled, and I knew she had. "You love him, don't you?"

Speechless, I could only sit in silence for a moment, searching for the answer in the storm clouds of light and dark and emotions inside of me. "I don't know," I said finally. "Yes." I shook my head, brushed my hair from my eyes. "No. I'm not sure I'm allowed to; he's my enemy."

"So am I," she said softly. "But you still love me. At least, I hope so."

I smiled at that. "Of course. But . . . I don't know him. Don't know if I can trust him. It's just –" I sighed, leaned back in my chair. "There's something about him, something I feel like I've known forever, loved forever. I know it sounds crazy. Maybe it is. Maybe this symbol over my heart has messed it up, and now it's all mixed up, too." Shaking my head at the answer I couldn't find, I glanced at her. "What about you?" I asked. "There's someone in your eyes, other than me." I grinned.

She shook her head, a small smile playing over her features. Her hand moved to the necklaces at her throat, toying with them, then she unclasped one and dropped it into my hand. I held it up. "Forever" glimmered in the lightning that screamed outside the window. "This is yours," I said.

A smile tugged at her lips, battling the darkness that had crept into her eyes. "You gave 'love' to the man who tried to kill you; I figured you'd have more luck with 'forever.' Just try not to give that away, too."

-x-x-x-

Saihitei came somber and silent the next morning to take Kourin away again. He left me with a smile, she with "forever;" though what that forever would be filled with, I had no idea. I was lost among the words of the legend, seeing only the dark lines of four kanji before me, feeling only the breath of their names around me. Kourin was gone again, Saihitei with her, and Miaka and the others too distant for me to reach. They'd found their place in the story, accepted it, but I was still struggling with my name.

_Nuriko._

It was that name that I toyed with as we traveled to Osaka, following the oracle's clue of "neko," or cat. She'd led us in the right direction, pointing us toward the rising sun and the ancient city. The three hours of driving were spent in the back of Taka's car, squeezed between Genrou's incessant cursing and Chichiri's patient replies. Miaka had long ago fallen asleep in the front seat, and Taka's only contributions to the noise were his irritated mutters. I'd participated half-heartedly, nodding and smiling along with Chichiri to hide the dark thoughts weighing down my heart.

Genrou had given up cursing Taka's small car and had attempted to start a conversation with the blue-haired man, who offered only monosyllabic answers or grunts in reply. When he finally tired of that, he turned to Chichiri. "Why the hell do ya wear that fuckin' mask anyway, 'Chiri?" he asked bluntly. "It makes ya look stupid."

Chichiri was silent a moment, dark eyes staring unseeingly out the window at the passing world. "Maybe that's why, no da."

Speechless for once, Genrou grumbled something and turned to glare out his own window. I fidgeted, Chichiri's unusual brooding prickling at my right and Genrou's annoyance at my left. The tension was broken finally as Chichiri turned and offered a smile I knew had nothing to do with his mask. "You've seen what the mask hides, no da. So did the world, once, and all it offered in return was scorn, and revulsion. So I left the world behind, no da, and my face with it."

Genrou turned back, frowning in confusion. "Why do ya care what the world thinks of ya?"

"I don't, no da," the monk answered simply. "But I got tired of the stares, and then the pity in them when I told them my story."

"And what's yer story?" Genrou asked.

I elbowed him none too gently, glaring at him and his unbridled curiosity. "Genrou!"

"What?" he said defensively. "Don't I have the right to ask a fuckin' question?"

I shook my head, sighing exasperatedly. Taka glanced back at us through the rearview mirror, his eyes moving from the unreadable gaze of Chichiri to mine. Curiosity hung in them, though, and so he didn't protest.

It was a long while before Chichiri answered, and for once Genrou waited patiently for his response.

"It was years ago, before my life had even begun," the monk started quietly. "When I was just Houjin, and my heart belonged to _her_ instead of Suzaku, no da."

Genrou snorted. "Women always fuck things up."

Chichiri shook his head, still smiling, though a shadow of his memory passed over his grinning mask. "She did nothing; jealousy did everything, no da." Reaching through the heavy air, he tugged at the seams of his mask, showed us his one golden eye. "I accused her, blamed my best friend, imagined the two together under the moon when she should have been with me. My best friend took my eye when I tried to take his life, and all I received in return was hearing him cry my name as I gave him to the river. She followed him, not because she loved him, but because she loved me, and I couldn't trust her enough to see that, no da." He closed his one good eye, smiled sadly. "I was blind even before I lost my eye."

Silence hung heavy in the car for a long while after that, Taka concentrating on the road, Genrou glowering out the window at some thought, Chichiri studying the mask still in his hands, and me still wrapped in the story he'd told. "Why are we all destined for tragedy?" I whispered what seemed like hours later, still lost in the swirling waters that had claimed Chichiri's lover. "Is it the legend that stains us in grief, or Suzaku?"

No one seemed to have an answer for that, and so I drifted back into the silence, until Chichiri stirred beside me. "I think, no da," he said slowly, "that our destiny isn't tragedy, it's just that our roads are littered with it. Suzaku holds our destinies, and we bear so much tragedy because we have the god lending us strength, where others don't. We suffer so that the rest of the world doesn't have to, else the world would be a dark, hopeless place, no da."

I looked up at him, at his smiling mask, and whispered, "So we're the world's hope?"

"No, the world must find its own hope, no da. We're just here to ensure that it is able to."

Chichiri's words kept us all silent and thoughtful until we reached Osaka, brooding through the implications they created. Then Taka woke Miaka, and our thoughts were broken with the silence as she cried our names and laughed.

"Three left, guys! And we've almost found one of them!"

"Yeah," Taka grumbled as he stepped out of the car and stretched. "But we gotta figure out this clue first."

"It was 'cat,' wasn't it?" Miaka asked.

Taka nodded, rubbing at his neck. "Yeah."

"There's gotta be a million fuckin' cats in Osaka," Genrou grumbled. "How the hell are we supposed to figure out which one is the next fuckin' seishi?"

"I don't think the next seishi is literally a cat," Taka said. He looked around, squinting through the sun at the busy streets around us. "But there are a lot of cats. How do we know which one the clue was pointing us toward?" Everyone seemed to stare around for a while, peering through dust and daylight for glowing red, for cats.

"Maybe it's a talking cat, and it will tell us," Miaka said seriously, and frowned when Taka laughed at her. "What?"

"Or maybe it's the one that's been staring at us since we stopped," Chichiri said, pointing at the tiny black and brown kitten that sat on the low wall behind us, its head cocked curiously and its tail flicking across the stones. The silence seemed to stretch for a long moment before Miaka clapped her hands and laughed.

I smiled at the cat's sky colored eyes and stepped toward it, reaching up to pet the streak of gray on its side. "Hello, there," I murmured as it yawned and jumped into my arms. I turned back toward the others. "Well, we've found the cat. Now what do we do?" Blank stares met mine, and I turned to Chichiri's smile, hoping to find an answer with him. He reached out for the cat, but it jumped out of my arms, meowing loudly before trotting down an alley. It stopped halfway through, turned to look back at us; its tail flicked with impatience. Shrugging, Chichiri moved to follow it, and we fell in behind him.

Voices sounded behind me, echoes, murmurs too near to be those of passersby. I threw a glance over my shoulder, fear leaping into my chest, but met only the noontime shadows. Though Saihitei said the Chou wouldn't waste their time coming after me, I couldn't help but worry that he was wrong, and that my presence was endangering everyone. _The Chou have eyes everywhere. _But Chichiri didn't seem worried, nor did Taka; I trusted their instincts more than my own. Hopefully, I was just being paranoid.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Taka commented, following Chichiri. I took up the rear, behind Genrou's tessen.

"Yeah. 'Cept now we're following a fuckin' cat. How do ya know it's takin' us to the next seishi? It's prolly just goin' home."

"Maybe that's where the next seishi is," Miaka said.

Genrou grumbled something to the wall next to him and glared; I held my laughter to myself, for it would only irritate him more.

The cat led us along the outskirts of town, taking us down dark alleys, along busy streets, past abandoned fields. I was beginning to doubt whether the cat was taking us anywhere at all, until it turned down an overgrown path that led into the woods. Watching eyes and whispering voices dogged us the entire way, but I dismissed them as paranoia.

Paranoia caught up with us as we entered the forest on the other side of Osaka.

Seven men stepped out of the trees, all wearing the Chou colors beneath a gleaming tiger crest. Saihitei wasn't one of them; the warrior Tokaki was.

The cat darted into the shadows. Taka stopped, pushed Miaka behind him protectively as Genrou and Chichiri stepped to his side. I moved to Miaka's side, grasped her hand as she clung to me. Tokaki drew two daggers from his belt, pointed them toward us. "I could just kill the boy," he drawled, waving one at me. "You couldn't summon Suzaku with a seishi missing." He grinned. "But that leaves the rest of you to cause trouble for us. I don't think Gramps would like that."

Eyes never leaving Tokaki's, Taka called my name. I looked up at the sound, tearing my gaze away from the daggers gleaming in the dim light. "Protect Miaka." Fear flared in me at that; how could I protect her, when I hardly knew how to fight as it was? And I couldn't – I couldn't use my strength, not if it meant losing Saihitei.

The Byakko warrior's grin widened, and I drew Miaka farther back, away from the glint of metal and the promise of blood. If we put enough distance between us, perhaps Taka would keep the Chou assassins at bay, and I wouldn't have to fight. Her lover's name on her lips, Miaka allowed me to draw her into the shadows, putting distance and trees between us and the impending clash.

It came with a loud crash and a shout from Taka. His cry wasn't for himself, however, but for me; I followed his wide eyes to see Tokaki's wife standing behind us, her symbol glowing silver on her chest as she reached for me. Subaru. I barely had time to fear before Miaka moved.

"No!" she cried as she jumped between me and the woman's glowing blow.

"Miaka!" I screamed.

-x-


	12. Rose

A/N: To answer some questions (mainly from Deep Color - I appreciate your review so much! It was definitely helpful.)

I know the relationship between Sai and Ryu seemed kind of groundless and sudden, but as you said, my plot doesn't give me much room to develop it that much. I know that's not an excuse, but I assure you it will slow down a little, and I do try to explain their attraction later in the story (the seishi part does have something to do with it. Remember, I said there are subtle hints to their past lives). And the storyline... Yes, I did follow the Ceres story more than FY, but that was the point of the fic, and there will be some deviations - I have to add some points from FY to accommodate the search for the seishi - but I do plan to stick to Ceres as much as possible. Sorry if that disappointed you. As for the characters... Everyone interprets Hotohori and Nuriko differently, and I tried to stay as true to their characters as I could while trying to stick to the Ceres storyline. Yes, Hotohori is a lot like Touya, but I think that is probably how he would act if he were in that situation, instead of living as the sheltered, spoiled emperor of Konan. And I think Nuriko's cheerfulness is a product of losing Kourin and assuming her personality, which obviously doesn't happen in my story. So he's Ryuen, not Nuriko. I think there is a very big difference in their personalities, so I chose to portray him as I think he was before he became Kourin. Kourin is the cheerful, strong one, and Ryuen the more vulnerable one. He will begin to mature as the story progresses, though, I promise you. And the title... It's not the greatest, I know, just a mix of the two titles. And I'm sure it makes no sense in Japanese. Oh well.

I hope I've replied to all your points... if I missed any, let me know.

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter 12: Rose**

Saihitei brought me back to the temple, where I was thrown at the feet of my grandfather, fighting and weeping and cursing the legend that held me captive. Men escorted Saihitei out, and I was left alone with my fears; not even Tatara was here to comfort me. My grandfather knelt before me, took my face in his large, hard hands. The two men standing behind him eyed me with a mix of indifference and curiosity - I was their priestess, their road to power, nothing more. And so it meant nothing to them when my grandfather's hand came down hard across my face, sending me stumbling backwards with a yelp of pain.

My grandfather stood, took a step toward me. "That was for leaving the temple grounds." He grabbed my arm, pulled me to my feet, and sent me tumbling back down again. "That was for abandoning your duties as the priestess of Byakko." I closed my eyes, bracing myself against the next blow; bad things always come in threes. But it never came, and I opened my eyes, still half-hazy from the blows.

_Maybe here in the glowing white, two is the unlucky number. Two children born together, two necklaces to tell the truth . . . _I thought of Saihitei, and of Tatara. _Two men to protect us from our destinies._

"You are never to leave these grounds," my grandfather stated evenly. His expression softened, but his eyes remained hard as he knelt beside me once more. It was then that I noticed how old he looked, older than I remembered even from our birthday. "It's dangerous out there; the Suzaku priestess is still gathering her seishi, trying to cause trouble for us despite the loss of your brother. They'd kill you if they ever found you."

I fought to keep the truth from my eyes. _Lies, _I thought to myself. _Lies are what have made you old beyond your years, and what will eventually kill you._

His hand fell heavy on my shoulder, cold and uncomforting. "I know it's difficult for you, Kourin. You want to see your friends, want to go out, but you're no longer just a teenage girl; you are the priestess of Byakko. You were born to be something great, but with greatness comes responsibility." A smile found its way onto his face, looking out of place even as it settled on his lips. "Don't worry, it will be over soon. We've only one more seishi to find."

"Then what?" I cried. "Then what? Things will go back to normal, like nothing ever happened? Like you never tried to kill Ryuen, never held me prisoner in your temple?" I slammed my fists against the ground, startling him; he stood quickly to keep from stumbling backward. "If you think I'm going to help you imprison the world the way you've imprisoned me . . ." Tears blurred my vision, and I spun, running from them and the empty reassurances tumbling from my grandfather's mouth.

I needed to get out; my one night in freedom wasn't enough, I craved more like my body craved air. The warmth and laughter of Miaka's apartment drew me, safe and inviting, and I ran toward it blindly. Guards stood at every door, lurked outside every window; they stopped me with a word, or a raised hand. I beat against them, angry now, too angry for tears, even for thought. When I couldn't reach the sunlight, I ran to the only place in the temple I knew, the only place I'd been allowed to know.

The door to my room slammed shut behind me; the sound would summon Tatara soon, if he wasn't already waiting inside. My grief and rage fueling my strength, I slid the desk in front of the door, sealing all the world out - and myself in. Collapsing finally on the couch, I sobbed out my sorrows onto my pillow, half-dreaming of what seemed like years ago, when I had a brother and a future and freedom. I cried memories instead of tears; I had no tears left. Even if I did, they would never be enough; I could never have enough tears for this.

Tatara came all too soon, his lilting voice penetrating the whirlwind of anger and sorrow and regrets I'd created around myself. I picked myself up long enough to throw a glare at the door, then returned to my darkness.

A grinding, sliding sound tore me back to the present again, and I looked up to see vines twined around the heavy desk, tugging it slowly aside. Too lost in my wonder to protest, I watched, fascinated, until the desk slid to a stop away from the door, and Tatara walked in.

"How did you do that?" I whispered.

He smiled as the vines snaked back to him, disappearing up his long sleeves as he made his way to where I lay sprawled on the couch. "It's what comes of being a seishi," he replied quietly, dark eyes hooded as they gazed down at me. He brought his hand up, ran his fingertips lightly over my cheek where my grandfather had slapped me. "What happened?"

"My grandfather," I answered bitterly, then jerked away from him, glowering as I buried my face in my arms again. "The desk was there for a reason, you know."

"Yes." Air shifted as he sat on the couch next to me. "To keep me out."

"Then why did you come in?"

"To give you this."

Sighing, I turned to watch him grow a seed in his hand, the stem unfurling from his palm and spiral into its length. Red peeked through the knot of green at the top, then unfurled to form a perfect rose, full and glistening, even in the dim artificial light. I stared at it a moment, reaching uncertainly to grasp its stem as he held it out to me. His fingers wrapped around mine briefly, softly, until he stood. "I'm glad you've returned," he murmured. "I was worried about you." A smile touched his eyes, chased away some of the darkness hiding there. "That comes of being a seishi, also."

Tearing my eyes from the rose before me, I glared up at him. Part of my heart caught on its thorns, throbbing painfully at the lies of this man I had unwillingly began to trust. "What, the urge to keep me prisoner? To lie to me?"

"To want to protect you," he replied evenly. "To serve you."

I tossed the rose at his feet, along with everything I'd held inside for him. "You're just like everyone else who swears to serve me," I whispered, sitting and wrapping my arms around my knees. "Empty promises, offered in return for the promise of power. I'm merely a tool to all of you, the path to your glory. I –"

"Kourin."

My name stopped my words in my throat, lodged them there until I nearly choked on them; they came out as a sob, dredging up more tears. I stared for a moment that dragged into forever, then collapsed against him as his arms encircled me, this man who'd never spoken my name before yet who spoke it like no other had, not even the beast god who'd placed him in my life. It was enough to bring me to tears when I thought I had none left, to flood out all the anger and hate and grief I held tight inside me like a barrier. His rhythmic murmurs slowly drew me out of my sorrow, into a content I hadn't felt since I read the four kanji that would tear my life to shreds. I breathed his name, begging him to say mine again, just to hear it in his voice.

I felt him smile against my hair. "Kourin," he murmured. "Kourin. I wish you would trust me."

"I . . . I do," I whispered. "It's just –"

He shook his head, pulled me back to meet my eyes with his midnight ones. "I owe my allegiance to you," he said quietly, firmly, "no one else. I will do whatever you ask of me, so long as you are safe."

"Take me away from here," I pleaded, still frozen by his eyes. "Away from all of this." My gaze fell heavy and tear-filled on the rose. "Grow a place for me out of your magic, where I can hide from my fate."

He shook his head again, his long hair tumbling around his shoulders. It was almost as dark as his eyes. "It's not that easy." His gaze moved to the window, to the morning light streaming in through the curtains. "We cannot escape our fate; Byakko would find us wherever we went." He forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "There is only one seishi left to find; it will be over after that."

"No," I said, lost somewhere between his eyes and my hazy thoughts. "It will never be over. Ryuen and I will be homeless, and you and Saihitei . . . Saihitei." The name jolted me back to the present, and I glanced back at Tatara. "Saihitei took me to see Ryuen."

He was silent a while, staring at the sunlight. "So that's where you were," he murmured finally.

I looked down at the rumpled pillows, brought one had up to clutch the necklace at my throat. "I didn't want to come back."

"I'm glad you did."

Our voices faded into silence; Tatara sat studying the light, while I studied him, compared him and Saihitei in my mind. Ryuen loved Saihitei – or at least he thought he did. But two was an unlucky number here; two Chou children finding love – even the illusion of love – could only bring tragedy. Perhaps Ryu was the only one destined to find something other than grief in this legend. After all, it was he who found the love story among the cold, hard lines of the four kanji on the scroll; I merely found a blinding white, and a rose.

I shattered the silence with his name. "What do you know about Saihitei?"

It took him a moment to draw himself out of the light, and he blinked as he turned back toward me. "Very little. Why?"

"I was wondering if I could trust him. If Ryuen could trust him."

Tatara looked as me knowingly, then frowned. "Saihitei is playing a dangerous game, flitting between the Chou and your brother. If he isn't careful, he could drag both of them down with a single misplaced word."

I thought of Ryuen, of what our family would do to him if they had the chance. Tatara brought me out of my dark thoughts with a touch. "Saihitei has been a servant in this temple since his parents died; he owes the Chou much more than any of us. But that doesn't mean that he can't love."

"Maybe," I murmured, thinking of my grandfather's warning that this was not a love story, of Ryuen's promise to make it one. I met Tatara's eyes and forced a smile. "I hope so."

Tatara's fingers brushed my cheek again, tracing the outline of the mark my grandfather had left there. He frowned, his brows furrowing, his dark eyes roiling with some thought I couldn't see. Light reflected off them, wafting in on the breeze, and he blinked the darkness from his eyes, shifted them to mine. We sat like that for a long while, motionless, his hand lingering on my face, our gazes locked across the sunlight. I could see the thoughts playing across his face; his frown had disappeared, but something else replaced it, something tentative and uncertain.

My heart seemed to hum in my chest, beating so fast that I would have fallen to my knees had I been standing. Only his gaze, steady on mine, held me upright. Words caught in my throat, died before I had the chance to speak them; the air was already heavy with our breathing, and words would have weighed it down even more. I drew a breath slowly, soundlessly, afraid to disturb whatever was piecing itself so tremulously together around us.

A shift of light, a sigh of air, and Tatara was leaning forward, slowly, until my eyes fell shut, and all I knew was that he was kissing me.

It was short, yet soft as the rose he'd grown for me. Time didn't stop, however; though for a moment all my sorrow melted away, and the waters they ran into were warm and inviting and I reveled in them, in the feel of his kiss, his hands, his hair. But time swept the moment away, and I felt him smile as he leaned back.

"Kourin." My name opened my eyes, and I found his gazing down at me. "Remember what I said." His fingers brushed my cheek again, took some of the stinging away. "I'll be back soon; call for me if you need me."

I nodded, still unable to find my voice in the maelstrom of feelings spinning inside me. So I watched in silence as the door closed behind him, leaving me lost in myself once again.

-x-


	13. Healer

A/N: Hello all, and welcome back to Ayashi Yuugi! I'm sooo sorry for the insanely long wait for this chapter, but between college, working two jobs, and social life, I've had almost zero time for writing. A huge thanks to everyone who read the past chapters and encouraged me to continue, and an even bigger thanks to those who continue to read! To make up for my long hiatus, this chapter is extra long - and hopefully worth the wait!

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter 13: Healer**

"Miaka!"

We all screamed at once; or none of us screamed, and it was just my own fear echoing in my head. Miaka crumpled to the ground, letting out a hollow cry as Subaru's glowing fist connected with her stomach. I dropped to the ground beside her, gathering her in my arms, holding her protectively. Taka and the others were busy with Tokaki and his men; they fought desperately against uneven odds, keeping themselves between us and the Chou assassins, while only I stood between Miaka and the Byakko seishi in front of us.

"What kind of seishi are you?" Subaru asked harshly, holding her power-encircled fist in front of her, evidence of her own abilities. "You can't even protect your priestess. I did have pity for you once, boy, but if you haven't gotten over your self-pity by now, then you deserve your suffering."

Anger stung my mouth, but I bit back the words with a shock, realizing she was right. My strength could have protected Miaka; it was my duty to protect her, and I owed her nothing less after everything she'd done for me. Saihitei's name throbbed in my heart, but it wasn't enough to cover the sharp pang of guilt. Saihitei had given me a kiss; Miaka had given me safety, love, and hope. Yet I had chosen him over her.

I glared up at her helplessly, feeling Suzaku's supernatural strength rush through me yet unable to bring myself to use it. Saihitei was the one good thing that had come out of this story so far, and I did not want to give him up. Yet I had a duty to my priestess and to my fellow seishi. A chance at love, or a chance at peace: how could I chose?

_My Nuriko, _Suzaku whispered, disappointed.

Ignoring the sadness in the god's voice, I stood, putting myself between Miaka and Subaru and drawing the small dagger Genrou had given me. I'd never before held a weapon in my life, but I was determined to protect Miaka somehow. My lack of experience must have shown, for Subaru barked a laugh, propping her hands on her hips as she shook her head.

"And what are you going to do with_ that, _hmm?" She made to bat it away with her hand, and I lunged at her, slicing her hand almost all the way across. Yelping in pain, she pressed her hand to her side, matching my glare. "So the little willow has thorns." Her eyes narrowed, and the symbol on her chest began to glow. "Next time, be sure you know how to use your weapon before you start waving it around."

Her good fist drew back for another blow, and I raised my dagger. Even celestial power couldn't stop cold hard steel – could it? I braced myself for the answer.

Light flashed in front of me, and I slashed down, hoping my blade would cut through the brilliance to find flesh, but it met nothing but air. I squinted through the light to meet Subaru's eyes, which were as stunned as my own. I glanced over my shoulder to see Chichiri's staff glowing, a frown of concentration evident on his face despite the smiling mask. A barrier surrounded Miaka and I, keeping the frustrated Byakko seishi at a distance. Taka and Genrou fought to keep the Chou assassins at bay, yet they couldn't hold out for much longer; several had already retreated, prey to Genrou's tessen, but the two were still outnumbered. And Chichiri was too busy protecting us to be any help to them.

"In here, no da," Chichiri called, the trembling of his staff belying the calm he forced into his voice. He motioned to his straw hat, which he'd tossed on the ground in front of him. "Quickly!"

Genrou tossed a frown over his shoulder before sending another wave of flame at the two Chou assassins he was facing. "I ain't fuckin' jumpin' into your – _rekka shinen!_ – fuckin'_hat!_"

"Just do it!" Taka yelled as he ducked under a blow aimed at his head. "Ryuen, you and Miaka first!"

Fear and guilt quickening my motions, I scooped Miaka into my arms – she was surprisingly light for as much as she ate – and dashed toward the monk's hat just as he let his barrier fall. Subaru was just as quick, however, and managed to grab the back of my shirt just before I reached the hat. I faltered, nearly dropping Miaka, but managed to tear out of her grasp and stumble onto the hat.

Except, the hat wasn't actually there, for as soon as I stepped onto it, I fell through it into complete darkness.

After a few seconds, the shock of the fall wore off, and I realized that I wasn't in darkness at all, but merely shadows; Chichiri's hat had transported us deeper into the forest to a patch of trees so dense that barely any sunlight filtered through their thick canopies. Finding a clear patch of ground, I laid Miaka down, careful not to jar her.

She stirred as I settled her on the ground, mumbling my name. "Mmm… You 'kay, Ryu?"

A stab of guilt shot through me, and I looked away, unable to meet her half-lidded, pain-filled gaze. "Yes, Miaka," I said softly, not trusting my voice. "I'm fine, thanks to you. Don't worry, Taka and the others are on their way, then we'll find you a doctor."

She tried to smile and winced instead, then forced a cheerful grin. "I'm ok," she said, hiding the pain in her eyes behind her smile. The smile faded fast, however, and her eyes fluttered closed just as Taka and Genrou stumbled out of nothing.

"Miaka," Taka murmured, the outline of his symbol still blazing brightly on his forehead. He knelt beside me and met my gaze briefly, a frown darkening his slate colored eyes as he smoothed back the hair from Miaka's forehead. I couldn't keep another stab of shame from jarring through me at his gaze, and I looked away, ashamed.

_This is my fault. And he knows it. They all do. What good am I to them, who can't even protect their priestess? _I didn't even realize that I'd started crying until I felt a tear make its way down my cheek. I brushed it aside quickly, blinking away the rest, and looked around. "Where is Chichiri?" I asked.

"He said he was right behind us," Genrou replied, scowling as he noticed the absence of the monk. "Fuckin' idiot, he better notta gotten himself killed or nothin'. Not after I done left Kouji to help you idiots."

"I'm here, no da." Chichiri stepped out of the shadows, his straw hat slung over his shoulder and his staff dull and lightless in his hand once more. "I met someone in the portal." He motioned behind him, where the kitten we'd followed earlier sat attentively, tail twitching slightly. "It seems we're meant to follow him after all, no da."

Taka stood and shook his head. "That has to wait. Miaka needs to get to a doctor, and fast."

"We don't have much choice, no da," Chichiri replied. "The cat led us here, so it must know the forest. The only way to find out way out is to follow it, no da. Maybe its owner can help us find a doctor."

Taka began to protest again, but the cat silenced him with a long meow, looking around at us before trotting off into the trees. It stopped just in the shadows and turned back to us as if to ask, "Are you coming?" His brows still knit in a worried frown, Taka gathered Miaka in his arms and nodded in reluctant acquiescence. Chichiri took the lead, Taka following, while Genrou waited in silence for me to stand.

I couldn't, though. My guilt weighed me down like a boulder, and all I could do was sit and watch as Taka carried Miaka through the trees._What good am I to anyone now? My family wants me dead, and now I've let down the only people who wanted me around._

"Hey."

Genrou's voice pulled me out of my gloom, and I looked up to meet his dark gaze. "You gonna sit there and mope all day, or you gonna get off yer ass and help Miaka?" Flashing his fang-like grin, he offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet with a grunt. "Stop bein' so fuckin' hard on yourself."

"I'm…" I couldn't find any words to say everything I felt, and so I just shrugged, not meeting his too-knowing gaze, and started after Taka. I heard Genrou fall in behind me and opened my mouth to say something, anything to break the uneasy silence pressing in on me, but he beat me too it.

"It's fuckin' hard bein' on a team sometimes," he drawled. "Havin' ta be responsible for other people, not just bein' able to look out for yourself." He snorted derisively. "I should know, bein' the fuckin' leader of a gang." His voice softened slightly, and I heard the smile in it. "But ya get used to it eventually, get to know an' care about the people in your gang. Even though they make stupid mistakes sometimes, get their asses inta trouble and expect ya to get them outta it."

The bandit's words didn't alleviate any of the shame or sadness, but they helped make it easier to bear somehow. "Thanks," I murmured over my shoulder. He muttered something about psychotic teammates and babysitting, and I turned to stick out my tongue. "Quit grumbling. You're starting to like us, I can tell."

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't go tellin' anyone, got it?"

I laughed, though despite his words I couldn't force myself to be cheerful. I kept up the front, however, for false smiles were so much simpler to display than the truth. _New life, new attitude, remember? At least on the outside…_

-x-x-x-

The cat led us to the other side of the forest, its route littered with shadows and sounds that made all of us jump. We were still on edge from the attack, and the silence that had settled around us didn't help to break the tense atmosphere. Chichiri remained in the front, attention focused on the cat that flitted in and out of the trees like a shadow itself, while Taka followed with a quiet alertness, cradling our priestess in his arms. Genrou and I followed; he had long ago given up his attempts at conversation, for it seemed he could see through the smile I kept plastered on my face, and left me alone with my guilt.

I didn't have long to brood, however, for we reached the edge of the forest and a small cottage in under a half hour. Seeing the cottage, the cat let out a long meow and bounded toward it, leaving us to follow more slowly. "This had better be the right place," Genrou drawled. "I'm tired of fuckin' walkin' everywhere looking for this cat guy."

"I think it is," Chichiri said quietly. "I sense power here, no da. Though it could just be the Byakko warriors following us."

"Great," Genrou muttered.

"Keep your tessen ready, Tasuki," Taka said quietly. "Just in case."

The bandit patted the fan strapped to his back. "Yeah. Sure. As long as you fuckin' stop callin' me that!"

Taka didn't reply; instead, he followed Chichiri to the door, standing to the side as the monk knocked loudly. There was no answer for a long while, and no sign of the cat that had led us here. "Hello?" Taka called finally. "Is anyone home? We need some help."

Chichiri knocked again, and this time there was a noise from inside, and a few moments later the door opened. A man greeted us solemnly as he pulled dirt-covered gloves from his hands, his dark hair held back with a bandana. "Can I help you?" he asked quietly, his voice low and soft and hoarse, as if from disuse.

Moving forward, Taka nodded toward Miaka, still unconscious in his arms. "My girlfriend was injured. We were – we were attacked by bandits in the forest. Is there a hospital near here?"

The man frowned and shook his head, his dark eyes clouded as he looked at Miaka, then stepped aside to let us in. "I was once a healer. Bring her in, I'll see what I can do."

At the man's instruction, Taka laid Miaka on the couch, remaining at her feet as the man knelt beside her. The rest of us crowded in the small, sparsely decorated room, Genrou slouching against the wall as Chichiri stood beside him. I sank into a nearby chair, my heart too heavy to bear standing anymore.

"What happened to her?" the man asked.

I swallowed, looked up at Taka, but he kept his gaze on Miaka. "She was hit in the stomach," was all he said, yet I cringed at his words, finishing his statement in my head. _She was hit protecting me. _I thought of Saihitei, and what he'd think of me, allowing my priestess to be hurt. A pang of regret lanced through me, and I winced.

"Several of her ribs are broken," the man said, his voice so low and deep I had to strain to hear him. He ran his hands over her bared stomach, his fingers probing gently, and shook his head. "Badly broken. And her pulse is irregular – there might be internal damage." He glanced over at us, then up at Taka. "That was some blow."

At those words, Taka did look over at me, and I jerked my head up to meet his eyes with a sense of dread. His gaze was empty of accusation or anger, but was filled with a heart-wrenching sadness. "It was," he murmured. He turned his attention back to the man. "Can you help her?"

The man leaned back, balancing on his heels, and seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a long moment. He finally shook his head and got slowly to his feet. "No, her injuries are too serious for me to heal alone."

"Where is the nearest hospital then?" Taka asked.

The man shook his head again. "I live in seclusion; the nearest town is about two hours away on horseback. But I don't suggest she ride."

"Well, do ya have a car or somethin'?" Tasuki asked. The man shook his head again.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Taka cried, fists clenched at his side. "Just sit here and watch her die?"

When the man didn't reply, Chichiri stirred, stepping forward. "You can heal her, no da. I sensed celestial power as we neared your cottage. You can help Miaka, no da, but you won't."

A great weight seemed to settle over the man, though he didn't move. "Yes, I was once a healer, but I've given up that power. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"You have to!" Taka cried. He took a step closer to the man, hands still balled into fists, and I was afraid he was going to attack him. "Are you really going to sit and do nothing?"

The man met Taka's angry gaze with his own sad, regretful eyes. "I told you, it's beyond my skills."

"Then use your fuckin' power!" Tasuki cried. "Fuckin' bastard, leavin' the poor girl like that. I oughta fry your ass!"

"I'm sorry," the man said quietly. "But I made a vow, when my power couldn't save the one I love, to leave it behind forever. It caused her death, and I want nothing more to do with it."

Before Taka could protest anymore, I stood, my guilt and regret driving me forward. "Please," I begged, dropping my smiling façade as if it were Chichiri's mask. "Miaka was hurt because she tried to save me. If anyone deserves to be punished, it's me for not being able to protect her. It should be me hurt, not her. Please, you have to help her. You lost a loved one, would you put another through that pain if you had the power to stop it?"

The man's dark eyes held mine for a long time, emotions roiling in them, more intense than I would have expected from this quiet recluse, longing and regret and heartbreak warring with his sympathy and compassion. I prayed the latter would win, for I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to Miaka. She'd become more than just my priestess; she was my friend, almost a sister. "Please," I whispered.

A memory flashed before the man's eyes, for they suddenly lost focus, intent on some far off time. Whatever he saw melted the hardness from his gaze, replaced it with the glimmer of tears. Those tears never had the chance to fall, for he blinked them away and turned back to kneel before Miaka again. I let out a shuddering sigh of relief.

Closing his eyes, the man held out his left hand, palm outward. It began to glow, slowly, a brilliant – and all too familiar – crimson surrounding his hand. Within the glow I could see the outline of a symbol on his palm. "'Chariot,'" Chichiri murmured. "He's the fifth seishi, no da. Mitsukake."

The crimson spread from his hand to encompass Miaka, concentrating on her stomach, where the bruise from Subaru's blow was just starting to form. After a few minutes, the bruise began to fade, and once it was completely gone, the man's power withdrew. He swayed, and for a moment I thought he would collapse, but he caught himself on the edge of the couch. The kitten, which had disappeared when we'd come into sight of the cottage, bounded into the room to rub against his owner as if its tiny body could provide the support he needed to stand.

My breath caught in my throat as Miaka stirred on the couch, groaning. Taka called her name, dropping to her side and covering her hand in his own. "Miaka, can you hear me?"

"Mmm hmm," she murmured. "Why is it so hot in here, Taka?" Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled sleepily at her lover before coming to her senses. "Where are we?"

Taka gestured to the man still kneeling beside him. "We're in this man's home. He healed you after you were hurt in the forest."

"Oh!" Miaka exclaimed, then spun, searching the room until her fever-bright eyes found mine. "Ryuen, are you alright?"

Shame flushed my cheeks, and I avoided Taka's gaze, only meeting Miaka's with an effort. I forced a smile, spreading my hands to show her that I was unharmed. "Yes, thanks to you."

"Good." She grinned up at me, her eyes sparkling despite the pallor that lingered on her cheeks, and then turned back to the healer. "Thank you for helping me. Are you a doctor?" She looked down to his hands, where the crimson glow still lingered, and pulled them up to examine them. "You're a seishi!" she exclaimed, ignoring the man's shocked attempts to pull away from her. "Look guys, we've found the next one!"

"Yeah, we figured that part out a while ago, genius," Tasuki chuckled. "You were still off in la-la land."

The man finally managed to pull away from her and got unsteadily to his feet. His movements startled the kitten at his feet, and it jumped up onto Miaka's less volatile lap. "No. I'm no seishi, I want no part of your legend."

"You are a seishi, no da," Chichiri said, pointing to his hand, where the outline of the symbol remained. "You know the legend. That is the symbol of Mitsukake, no da, and most likely the source of your healing powers."

"Yeah, and we followed your cat here!" Miaka scratched the kitten behind the ears, earning a contented purr.

The man shook his head. "I'm a simple town healer. I gave up those powers long ago."

"But we need you – we can't complete the legend without you!" Miaka said. "I'm the priestess of Suzaku, and I need all seven of my warriors to help me. Please, I know you've done a lot for me already, but this is important!"

The man shook his head. "I know the story well, and all it does is cause pain. I want no part of it."

"Ya might as well just give in," Genrou muttered, "or else they'll hang ya in the air until ya do."

"I know we have no right to ask anymore of you," Taka said. "But this is a matter of life and death for a lot of people, maybe the world, if the enemy has its way. Why won't you help us?"

I didn't think the man was going to answer; he stood silent for a while, gazing at each of us in turn, measuring our determination against the memory that had returned to haunt his features. He finally sighed, though he squared his shoulders again before speaking as if bracing himself for his story. "My fiancé died because of these powers. I was called to a neighboring city to heal someone, and while I was away she fell ill. She died before I could make it back."

There was silence for a long while; none of us had an answer to that story, though we'd all earned our share of pain from the legend. "What was her name?" Miaka asked finally. She was the only one who never let her role bother her, never gave into the despair and heartache each page of this story brought. _That's the role of the priestess, I guess. Holding us all together._

The man turned his solemn gaze on her, his gaze softening as if he saw the same strength in her that I did. "Shoka."

I shook my head, feeling tears well in my eyes and not attempting to hide them. Miaka might be the only one able to bear her burden without regret, but I wasn't about to shirk my duties any longer. The legend needed to end, no matter how much hardship it put us through. "I know how you feel," I said. "The legend has caused me nothing but pain, too. It's taken my family from me, my sister, my friends. I didn't want to become a part of it either. But I refused to use my powers, and Miaka got hurt because of it. If you refuse to help us, a lot more people will get hurt. The only way to stop all this is to end it forever, and we can only do that if all seven of us are together." I looked up, and this time my smile was genuine, though tears still lingered in my eyes. "Then maybe things will go back to normal, for all of us."

It was a long while before anyone spoke again, and it was Miaka who broke the silence. "Please, Mitsukake?"

It was a strong person who could resist Miaka when in full pleading mode, and the man – Mitsukake – was already exhausted from the use of his powers. So it wasn't too much of a surprise when he succumbed, his shoulders slumping slightly as acceptance softened the frown on his features. He gave a weary nod, his only answer. It seemed the legend was already weighing on him, leaving no room for words.

Even Miaka felt the burden of his decision; she merely smiled her thanks and leaned back against Taka. The events of the day suddenly caught up to me as well, and I slumped back into the chair, emotionally and physically drained. It didn't seem like any of us were going to continue back to the world of the legend today. Tomorrow we'd return, but for tonight, Mitsukake offered us his small house, and we all accepted gratefully, exhausted. Guilt and shame plagued me that night, however, keeping me awake long after everyone was sleeping soundly. I fell asleep a few hours before dawn, my mind finally too exhausted to think, my heart heavy with regret.

-x-

A/N: Hopefully with the revival of my muse I'll be able to get this story finished in a reasonable time. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up before the end of Christmas break, though I'm not making any promises. I'm studying abroad this semester, so when I come home, I'm going to be spending a lot of time catching up with family and friends. I'll try to get it out quickly though - I want to finish this story so I can actually work on some new ones I've been toying with. (I know, shocking, isn't it? I haven't posted a new story in forever!) Reviews will make me work faster, though, and keep my muse from hibernating again.


	14. Ashes and Wine

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up, I've been preoccupied with other things lately. And the fact that the last chapter only got one review didn't make me work any faster. I want to get this story finished no matter what, but reviews definitely give me the incentive to write, which means the chapters get up faster. But thanks **Shinyaa** for reviewing!

And kudos to anyone who can guess where this chapter's title came from.

**Ayashi Yuugi: Celestial Play  
**

**Chapter 14: Ashes and Wine**

The conversation in the room grew muffled as I closed the door behind me, shutting out the voices of my fellow seishi. The apartment had gotten crowded since I'd first arrived, with the addition of three more seishi after me. It was oppressive at times, a constant reminder of the legend in which we were all hopelessly tangled. After yesterday's events in the forest, I was tired of this world of warriors, plotting, and fighting; I saw crimson wherever I turned, tasted its bitter tang on my tongue with every word I spoke. I craved fresh air, air untainted by celestial power, and felt that if I didn't get _away_it would smother me.

Guilt, too, still haunted me, though Mitsukake's power had healed Miaka's wound completely. "What ifs" played through my head like a miswired film, flashing images of Miaka dying, of Subaru's glowing power-driven fist ripping through Miaka's body, Taka's tears as he roared out his anger and grief. I couldn't stand them anymore, and so I made my way out into the night, trying to shed my worries as I walked.

I didn't think about where I was going; I tried not to think at all. My feet moved of their own accord, wandering the streets as I fought to empty my mind of the conflicting emotions, memories, and fears. I didn't want to _remember_for a while – I simply wanted to walk. _Maybe if I walked long enough, I can just walk away… _

Yet even as I made the wish, I knew it could never come true. I was too entrenched in the story to ever find my way back out; my soul was stained with crimson, and no distance could ever wash that way. Even if I had the chance to escape it, I couldn't abandon Miaka now, when all hopes of ending it rested on all seven of us coming together.

Every hope of seeing Kourin again rested on us ending this.

_Maybe, then – just maybe – I'll get Kourin back, and my family, and find a way to keep Saihitei too…_

I felt almost hollow without Kourin; this was the longest we'd ever been separated, the longest I'd gone without hearing her voice. The night Saihitei brought her to me seemed like ages ago; it was a memory I could barely see through the curtain of willow branches that had fallen over my mind.

My feet seemed to follow my thoughts, and before I realized it I was on the street that led to my grandfather's temple. I must have been walking for nearly an hour, to be this far from Miaka and Taka's apartment. A thrill of fear shot up my spine, and I ducked into a narrow alley, pressing up against the cold stone.

_What am I doing here? _I thought, my breath catching in my throat. _They'll kill me if they find me alone! _And yet, Kourin was there somewhere, and Saihitei. I peeked around the corner, looking to see if anyone was on the street to see my temporary hiding place. The street was deserted at this hour of the night, but Saihitei's words echoed in my mind, and I withdrew back into the shadows. _"The Chou have eyes everywhere." _Just because I couldn't see my grandfather's assassins didn't mean they couldn't see me.

"This was really smart, Ryu," I muttered to myself. "Go straight to the one place in the world you'd find the most trouble." I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes as I debated what to do. More than anything I wanted to find a way into the temple, to see Kourin, to make sure she was alright. But that was as good as walking into an assassin's sword. _I've let Miaka down once – I can't do it again. And if I go and get myself killed, I'll let everyone down._

Sighing, I opened my eyes, glaring at the stone wall across from me. _I_will _see this story to its end. I'm tired of worrying and running and hiding. I just want this to end._

I turned to peer around the corner again only to find the entrance to the alley blocked by the shadow of a figure. I gasped, then turned to run, fear turning my blood to ice even as it sent my hear racing. They'd seen me walking down the street, lost in the fog of my thoughts, followed me here…

A hand on my arm stopped me before I could take a step, and a hand over my mouth silenced my cry. _No no no no no!_

Warm breath trickled down my neck, followed by the brush of long hair. "Scream, and I won't be the only one to find you."

"Saihitei," I murmured around his fingers. I relaxed, nearly collapsing against him in relief. My heart thrummed in my ears; I was certain he could hear it as well, it was beating so loudly. His hand moved from my arm to my waist to draw me deeper into the shadows, but I was too shaken to enjoy his embrace. His hand never moved from my mouth, though, but his touch softened, melting into a caress, his fingertips gentle in an almost-kiss, calming me.

"You do seem to be good at finding trouble, _Ryu,_" Saihitei said, a smile evident in his voice. "What were you planning to do, walk up to the front gates and knock?"

I shook my head, turning to meet his honey-brown gaze through the shadows though my legs were still shaky beneath me. "I didn't mean to come here. I was – I was just walking, trying to get away for a while. It's… been a rough week."

"You're still upset about what happened yesterday in the forest."

Groaning, I let my head fall back to frown at the night sky. "You know about that?"

"I overheard Subaru telling Osamu," Saihitei replied. "It seems she's taken a personal disliking to you, after that."

I dropped my gaze to the ground, unable to meet his eyes. "I've taken a personal disliking to myself," I muttered. All the guilt I'd sought to escape came flooding back, burning my cheeks and my eyes.

Saihitei's fingers found their way to my face again, tilting my chin back up. I kept my eyes downcast, however, ashamed. Yesterday had proven me a coward; how could I face him after that? Yet my name on his lips drew my gaze to his, to the unabated warmth that lingered there. He drew me forward until we were a breath apart, his closeness sending a shiver down my spine. This is what I had relinquished my powers for; this is what I wanted, the only thing I wanted from this legend…

But Saihitei stepped back, leaving me with nothing but the chilly night air. A smile lingered in his eyes, however, and his arm still draped lightly around my waist. "This isn't the safest place for this, you know," he murmured. "You shouldn't be anywhere near here."

"I know," I sighed, leaning my head on his chest. "But I… don't want to go back yet."

He was still a while; I felt the steady rise and fall of his chest, his breath teasing my hair. After a moment his arms tightened around me, shifted me to his side as he walked deeper into the alley. "Come on."

I didn't bother to ask where we were going; I didn't care, as long as I was with Saihitei. I felt slightly guilty at that, for I knew he shouldn't be nearly as important to me as he was, especially in the face of everything else I should be concerned with. Yet I felt something deeper than mere attraction between us. It was as if I'd known him for a lifetime, as if the love blooming in me was an age-old part of me. It was more than just a teenage crush; _something_deeper was there, even if I couldn't give it a name.

We finally reached the other end of the alley which, though still in dangerous territory, was farther away from the Chou temple. Saihitei directed me down the street, stopping in front of a car I recognized as his. He ushered me inside, then walked to the other side and slid into the driver's seat. He didn't protest when I leaned my head on his shoulder, or when I wrapped my fingers around his arm, needing the reassurance of his touch.

I didn't realize I'd dozed off until he woke me, his hand gentle on my shoulder, shaking me back to wakefulness. "You can stay and sleep in the car if you want, but it's probably safer inside."

I smiled languidly at the laughter in his voice and murmured a reply. "I'm coming." Sliding out of the car, I followed him across the street and into the lobby of a rather posh apartment building. "Is this where you live?"

"Yes." I trailed him as he stepped into the spacious elevator, watched him in silence as he hit the button for the fourth floor. He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms in front of him.

"How is Kourin?" I asked when he turned back to me.

"Osamu has been keeping her closed up since the night she ran away. I haven't been able to see her." He gave me an easy, reassuring smile. "She's fine though; Tatara genuinely cares for her, he would never let anything happen to her."

"I don't care if he cares about her," I muttered. "That doesn't change the fact that she's locked in that temple with a family that's interested in nothing but power and their hired killers."

"Like me," Saihitei said bemusedly, shaking his head when I opened my mouth to disagree. "It's true, I'm nothing more than another of Osamu's lackeys. The only difference is that I've belonged to him far longer than the others."

"You don't _belong_ to him," I said.

Saihitei merely looked down at me, his eyes unreadable save for the heavy sadness that darkened them. A chime sounded as the doors slid open, and Saihitei walked out of the elevator, leaving me with the Chou crest emblazoned on the back of his shirt as his answer.

I followed him down the hallway, trying to keep up with his long strides. He stopped at the last door, pulled out a key, then motioned me inside. The apartment was spacious, though sparsely decorated; other than a few personal belongings strewn around, the only decoration was a single photo, a picture of a man, women, and a small child. Yet the apartment was homey in its own way, for the faint smell of cinnamon reminded me of Saihitei.

Kicking off my shoes, I made my way to the couch as Saihitei disappeared into the kitchen. He returned shortly with two glasses of wine, placing one in front of me before settling at the opposite end of the couch. He took a sip of his wine, swirled it around in his glass as he watched me taste mine. "Your grandfather bought this apartment for me," he said finally.

Uncertain how to respond – and unsure of my own feelings toward my grandfather – I remained silent, watching his face as he concentrated on the dark liquid in his glass.

"It was the final step in cementing my loyalty to him, for he knew your birthday was fast approaching and needed to plan accordingly." He tossed his hair behind his should, his gaze wandering around the room. "I already owed him my life, however, this was just another stone in my debt to him."

"Why are you so attached to him?" I asked finally, angrily. "What could he possibly have done to warrant you following him blindly through his plans?"

Saihitei looked at me then, shock glittering in his dark eyes, as if he'd never thought to question his loyalty himself. Wine sloshed in the glass as he took a long drink, and he shook his head almost wearily. "My parents owned the house behind the temple. They were good friends with your grandfather." He paused to take another drink, as if bracing himself to continue. "There was a fire, I was six, and the only one to make it out that night. Thanks to your grandfather, who'd managed to find me before it took me too. I lived at his temple after that, helping with the grounds keeping and whatever duties he needed me to perform. I learned the art of swordplay from him, and when he began building his small army in preparation for your birthday, my joining it wasn't even questioned. Which brought me here, and to you."

I shook my head, gulping down the rest of my wine. It was numbing, and yet oddly strengthening, and so I didn't protest as he refilled my glass. "How could you follow him, knowing what he wanted to do? No matter what you owed him."

"I knew his goal, but not his methods," he replied. Regret creased his features into a frown, though he kept his gaze steady as I studied him. "And when my first assignment was to find and kill you, I began to realize exactly what was being asked of me." He smiled ruefully into his glass, raised it to take another drink, then though better of it and looked over at me instead. "I would have killed you, too, if not for your eyes."

I blinked, reaching to brush my hair from my forehead self-consciously. "My eyes?"

Saihitei nodded, smiling bemusedly. "They awoke something in me, something I can't name. They're… so familiar, and yet still a mystery to me. I have dreams about them, even when I'm awake." He flushed, realizing what he'd just said, and waved his hand as if to erase it. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. You have a very odd effect on me, Ryuen. You, and the wine."

His words had sent a maelstrom of emotions crashing through me, excitement warring with fear, desire with despair, all underscored by a heart-wrenching _regret,_a wish that the situation could have been different. "I won't become a seishi," I murmured finally, "if that's what it takes for us to be together."

Smirking, Saihitei gave a small, sad chuckle and drained his glass. "No, Ryuen, you can't fight Fate that way. You have a duty to your priestess, just as I have a duty to Osamu. Would you have a repeat of what happened in the forest?" At my stricken look, his eyes softened, and he reached out to brush his finger across my cheek. "You cannot help being a seishi; it's who you are, and I wouldn't ask you to change that for me. Besides," he said with a smile, "I may never have met you had you not brought this legend to life."

"But all this legend has done is cause pain." I sniffed, hiding the tears that burned at my eyes behind my glass as I took another long drink. "I would give anything for it to be over. Then… then things would be different, and we wouldn't be enemies…" I trailed off as Saihitei shook his head again, his lips still curled in a smile.

"Everything happens for a reason. I don't know how this story ends, but it's already written, and we cannot change it."

"I don't believe that," I murmured. "Taka said the legend writes itself, that it's based on the choices we make. We can decide our own futures; there are no words that cannot be erased." Sighing, I looked over at the picture on the table, the picture of Saihitei and his parents. "I have to believe that, otherwise I don't think I could bear it."

My words seemed only to sadden Saihitei, for he placed his glass on the table and followed my gaze thoughtfully to the photo. After a few minutes I took his hand, watching as his brooding frown changed to a small smile.

Longing shot through me with an almost physical force, and I tightened my grip on his hand, slipping my fingers through his. Our closeness must have had the same effect on Saihitei, for he leaned forward, his hand moving to trail lightly down my cheek, then drawing me closer until our lips brushed. Gently at first, then deeper as he moved closer, his fingers releasing mine and winding through the loose pattern of my braid. I clutched at him desperately, my hand closing around his arm, unwilling to let him go now that I had finally found something good among all the heartache.

We parted only to take a breath, and then I was lost in him once more, letting myself fall completely into the security of being in his arms. Here, I could almost forget the legend, forget my grandfather, forget the willow that burned crimson on my chest. It was as if I'd found a part of me I'd lost long ago, and now that I had it back, nothing else mattered.

Breathless, I clung to him, my face buried in his long hair. I was content to stay here forever, to let the legend play itself out without us, though some part of me knew we had to return to it in order to end it. This brief respite would end, and we'd be enemies again; yet I would keep this night forever, next to my heart with Kourin's locket and the symbol of my destiny.

Saihitei shifted, moving me more securely in his arms as I rested my head against his shoulder. Though we belonged to the legend, I wanted to claim this as my own, to give myself to Saihitei rather than Suzaku. Murmuring his name, I leaned up to brush my lips against his ear and whispered, "I love you."

He tensed beneath me, his arms loosening their hold around my waist. With a worried frown, I leaned back to meet his gaze, yet his eyes were guarded once more.

"Saihitei?" I asked tentatively.

Sorrow clouded his gaze, and he looked away, and when he turned back to me it had been replaced by a hollow smile. He drew me into another kiss, this one slow and tender and heavy with regret. I let myself sink into it, ignoring the fact that his only reply had been a heartrending grief.

That kiss lasted until I almost forgot Saihitei's silence. It ended as slowly as it began, with his hand cupping my cheek and the same empty smile twisting his features into a false reassurance. He kissed my eyelids, then leaned back, his hand still covering my own. "Come, Ryu, it's late. You can have my bed tonight. I'll take you back to Yuki's tomorrow."

I nodded, following him into the bedroom and taking the offered pajamas. He wished me goodnight with another kiss, this one simple and short, and left me with a smile. And yet, whether it was the wine or my own conflicted heart, I couldn't help but feel a little despondent at the thought of sleeping alone tonight.

-x-

A/N: Like I said, reviews will make the next chapter come sooner! And I honestly want to know what you think about the story - suggestions are always welcome!


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